BirdingNZ.net

The tern in the cropped lower two photos flew directly quite high up across lake Taupo from Waihi towards the old Tokaanu wharf. Probably a caspian but looks smaller and finer and a red bill is not obvious in the poor quality photos. At the time I saw it with binoculars I noted "large white tern with black and white on wings - saw no red". I remember I was struck by clearly defined black and white wing markings. I saw five caspian terns fishing at Rotoaira later that afternoon and the red bills were obvious. Probably impossible to be sure of an id and I don't want to waste time on an impossible task, but can anyone say for sure "not a Caspian Tern". As a side note, a small tern flew from a pole off the new Tokaanu wharf the next day as a Harrier approached it. And this morning a tern was flying off the Tongaririo delta. The top photo is of a caspian at Rotoaira for comparison.

The whiskered tern in non breeding plumage perhaps?


Other devils advocate option was a blackbilled Gull.

Yes, I wondered about blackbilled gull this morning when I saw the them soaring and gliding off the new wharf. I was hoping for the whiskered tern so hugely biased

Hey Jim,

I think David is right. Black-billed Gull looks favourite to me.

cheers