sixfros Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 I need help in IDing some of the terns in the attached pics. They were photographed at approximately 12 pm on Sept. 14, 2018, at Huguenot Memorial City Park in Duval County, near Jacksonville, FL. Shorebirds are a new challenge for me, so any help and instruction will be most appreciated. In all three pictures, I'm hoping to identify the smaller terns (not the Caspians or Skimmers). Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jshaw236 Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 So the big one with the bright red beak I would call a Caspian Tern, note the very red beak and the thickness of it, leads me away from Royal. The smaller terns are more of a guess but I would say immature common. But need a second option on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixfros Posted September 15, 2018 Author Share Posted September 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Jshaw236 said: So the big one with the bright red beak I would call a Caspian Tern, note the very red beak and the thickness of it, leads me away from Royal. The smaller terns are more of a guess but I would say immature common. But need a second option on it Thanks--I appreciate the confirmation on the Caspian, and your guess on the Common. I noticed after I posted this that the small tern just right of center in the top photo has a light-tipped beak, which might indicate a Sandwich Tern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 Pic 1 -- Caspian and Sandwich Pic 2 -- Caspian and 2 Commons Pic 3 -- Caspian and Common 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted September 20, 2018 Share Posted September 20, 2018 BTW -- The term "shorebird" is used in birding to refer only to members of a few bird families (though only the 1st, 3rd, 12th, 13th, and 14th are of regular occurrence in the US and Canada): Scolopacidae -- sandpipers Rostratulidae -- painted snipe Jacanidae -- jacana Thincoridae -- seedsnipe Pedionomidae -- Plains Wanderer Glareolidae -- coursers and pratincoles Pluvianidae -- Egyptian Plover Dromadidae -- Crab Plover (I really want to see this one!) Burhinidae -- thick-knees Pluvianellidae -- Magellanic Plover Ibidorhynchidae -- Ibisbill (I really, REALLY want to see this one!!) Recurvirostridae -- avocets and stilts Haematopodidae -- oystercatchers Charadriidae -- plovers 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixfros Posted September 29, 2018 Author Share Posted September 29, 2018 On 9/19/2018 at 10:42 PM, Tony Leukering said: BTW -- The term "shorebird" is used in birding to refer only to members of a few bird families (though only the 1st, 3rd, 12th, 13th, and 14th are of regular occurrence in the US and Canada): Scolopacidae -- sandpipers Rostratulidae -- painted snipe Jacanidae -- jacana Thincoridae -- seedsnipe Pedionomidae -- Plains Wanderer Glareolidae -- coursers and pratincoles Pluvianidae -- Egyptian Plover Dromadidae -- Crab Plover (I really want to see this one!) Burhinidae -- thick-knees Pluvianellidae -- Magellanic Plover Ibidorhynchidae -- Ibisbill (I really, REALLY want to see this one!!) Recurvirostridae -- avocets and stilts Haematopodidae -- oystercatchers Charadriidae -- plovers Tony, I hope to have a good shot at an Ibisbill soon, as I travel in Central Asia quite often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alta Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 Do you live in Jax? I go to Huguenot weekly. If you ever want to meet me there and go around, let me know. I post regularly on ebird for Huguenot. My email is in my profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixfros Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 On 9/29/2018 at 7:39 PM, alta said: Do you live in Jax? I go to Huguenot weekly. If you ever want to meet me there and go around, let me know. I post regularly on ebird for Huguenot. My email is in my profile. Our son and daughter-in-law live in Jax, so we've visited them twice in the last two months. We are only in the US for one year (based in VA), so I am getting in as many US species as I can. I would love to have had a guide! Perhaps next time we're down there. Thanks for the offer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alta Posted October 6, 2018 Share Posted October 6, 2018 I'm not an expert, but know Huguenot and Little Talbot, and some of the other parks here. If you want, go to Huguenot hotspot on ebird and go to my profile. I am sure I will have posted there recently. My email is in my ebird profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mills0000 Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 On 9/19/2018 at 8:34 PM, Tony Leukering said: Pic 1 -- Caspian and Sandwich Pic 2 -- Caspian and 2 Commons Pic 3 -- Caspian and Common Can someone explain to me why the middle tern in pic 2 is not a Gull-billed? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alta Posted October 7, 2018 Share Posted October 7, 2018 Juv. Common. you can just see the tiny yellow on the bill tip. Gull-billed has longer legs and shorter/fatter bill. Somewhat bigger. Gull-billed Terns and Laughing Gull by Alta Tanner, on Flickr Recent picture of Gull-billeds with Laughing Gull at Huguenot Memorial Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Leukering Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 On 10/6/2018 at 10:03 PM, mills0000 said: Can someone explain to me why the middle tern in pic 2 is not a Gull-billed? Thanks. Gull-billeds are not in alternate plumage in Sept, they're larger, and with thicker bases to the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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