Medium-sized tern with deeply forked tail. Breeding adults have a gray belly, full black cap, and reddish bill. The upper side of the outer primaries is dark gray, creating a dark wingtip.
Medium-sized tern with a slender, straight bill. Tail is about the same length as the folded wings. Breeding adults usually have a grayish chest and bright red, black-tipped bill and red legs.
Breeding adults have a neat black cap and red bill with black tip. In this image, note the long crossed wingtips (above) about the same length as the forked tail (below). Nests in the open on beaches.
Nonbreeding adults lose the front portion of their black cap, showing a white forehead and black hindcrown. Legs and bill turn blackish as winter progresses. Note tail does not extend beyond wingtips at rest.
Immatures and nonbreeding adults have a distinctive black bar on the leading edge of the wing, known as a carpal bar. Tail does not extend beyond wingtips.
Juveniles have a faint brownish wash to the back and a partial black cap that extends to the crown. They also have a dark leading edge to the wing, or carpal bar.
Flies with wingtips swept back with rowing wingbeats. Nonbreeding adults have a white forehead and black on the crown and behind the eye, with blackish bill. Note the black wedge on the upper side of the wingtips.
Medium-sized tern with deeply forked tail. Outer primaries form a dark wedge on the upper side of the wingtips. Wings are slender, swept back, and narrow at the base.
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Common Terns have long, narrow, angular wings and pointed wingtips. Unlike gulls, this tern has a straight, slender bill. The tail is forked and the legs are short.
Larger than a Least Tern, smaller than a Caspian Tern.
between robin and crowGulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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