Scientific Name: Sterna Forsteri
Population Estimate: 120K
Range / Habitat: Breeds on inland marshes in the American West and parts of Canada. Winters along the southern US coast, into Mexico, and in the Caribbean. Rare vagrant to western Europe.
Field Notes: Medium-sized, black-capped tern. Breeding plumage as above. Legs are orange, which cannot be appreciated in the photo. Non-breeding plumage is unmistakable with black eye and ear patch on a white head. Overlaps some in migration and breeding range with Common Tern, which has darker mantle and duller bill and legs.
Personal Notes: We frequently saw this tern hunting over the flats of the Great Salt Lake.
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