Common Gull-billed Tern with Australian Gull-billed Terns, Queensland

[Michael Szabo]

Greg Roberts has posted these useful photos to Facebook showing a Common Gull-billed Tern (affinis) with Australian Gull-billed Terns (macrotarsa) currently at Maaroom on the Queensland coast.

[Michael Szabo]

I took these photos of a Common Gull-billed Tern and an Australian Gull-billed Tern right next to each other at Maaroom in Queensland recently on 6/4/23. They show the main distinguishing features of Common GBT in non-breeding plumage - smaller overall size, shorter and straighter bill, small dark eye patch, clean white cap, and darker upper parts (as set out in the Australian Bird Guide on page 107).

[Michael Szabo]

Here are some very sharp comparison photos posted today to Facebook by Paul Taylor in coastal South Australia.

[Michael Szabo]

Paul Taylor in South Australia has posted this very useful photo on Facebook showing the relative sizes and plumages of a single Australian Gull-billed Tern with 5 Common Gull-billed Terns and two Caspian Terns. The Common Gull-billed Terns are just starting to acquire some of their breeding plumage before migrating north to Asia to breed in a couple of months. the site is the Northern Gulf St.Vincent.

[andrewcrossland]

That's a super useful pic!

[Michael Szabo]

Here's hoping someone gets to take a shot like this over here in NZ one day!