by Jim Stevenson,Something to challenge the better birders in the group and give the newbies something to shoot for, I have included a gull/tern test on fall plumages (mostly) shot recently. Answers are at the bottom of this article. If you get them all right (or want to debate one), I’d love to hear from you! Next week I will be sending out information on our 2013 trips, complete with lots of bird pictures for each location. Even if you have no interest in the trips, you might really enjoy seeing what birds live in the various places. Feel free to continue ordering calendars Get out and enjoy this weather!
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Here are your birds, all in fall/winter plumages:
1. Caspian Tern
2. Common Tern
3. Forester’s Tern
4. Royal Tern
5. Laughing Gull
6. Sandwich Tern
7. Gull-billed Tern
8. Black Tern
9. Least Tern
10. Franklin’s Gull
Posted in 
The Royal Tern and Sandwich Tern look very similar – except for the beak. Are there any other distinguishing characteristics?
Thanks
Hi Ed,
Those two species are pretty similar and are both seen frequently flying out deep where they feed well out in the Gulf. However, Sandwich Terns depart in late fall and don’t return until March, when they breed by the thousands in Galveston Bay. We also have quite a few Royals breeding there as well.
If you wanna be on my bird picture ID list, it’s free and name-suppressed. E-mail me at
Jim Stevenson