This weeks bird picture has a questionmark behind it. Maybe someone can help me?
In the middle of what seems to be a rather poor year for most birds, the terns are busy bringing in food to feed their newborn chicks. This bird, although resembling a first-year tern in the autumn, however, is probably a second-year Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), not a too common sight here in the north as most 2nd year birds stay in the south. Maybe also 3rd year birds can look like this, even though I thought they resembled the adults by that time? Or is it even a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) at its 2nd year?
Around 100 people have viewed the picture on the national bird report system, where I reported it as a 2K Arctic Tern with a questionmark, but no one has commented on species or age. Any tern specialits out there?
The picture is taken on the 21 June in Tromsø, Norway, me being a bit behind the schedule on the bird picture of the week..
Er ikke kapabel til å hjelpe deg, men flott bilde var det.
SvaraRaderaJeg er ingen terneekspert men etter det jeg har funnet i litteraturen så stemmer antakelsen din. Basert på at alle svingfjærene ser ut til å være av samme generasjon og omtrent ikke slitt så er dette en Rødnebbterne. Rødnebbterne myter i vinterkvarteret mens Makrell vil ha slitte svingfjær og vingedekkere. Armsvingfjærene er lyse i kontrast mot håndsvingfjærene.Så ifølge litteraturen er dette en Rødnebbterne i sitt andre leveår.
SvaraRaderaMvh
John
Tusen takk John, jeg må nok begynne å studere terne-myting mer i detalj - nu vet jeg i hvert fall hvilke detaljer som jeg skal se mer nøye etter. Beste hilsen, Fredrik
Radera