Whiskered Tern, Waikanae

[FraserGurney]

Jan Keast has today reported via eBird a whiskered tern at Pharazin Reserve near Waikanae.

"Small white tern with shallowly forked tail, black band from eye area around back of nape. Buoyant flight, working upwind over pond, picking insects off surface."

https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S96052666

[Jan Keast]

Yes, seen this morning and unusual bird report submitted and regional rep notified. No photo taken as I don't have a good enough camera. Would be good if someone could get a good image and confirm or otherwise!
Will re-visit site when it stops raining. Hopefully will see at closer range.

[Michael Szabo]

No photo unfortunately

[sav]

Yes, seen this morning and unusual bird report submitted and regional rep notified. No photo taken as I don't have a good enough camera. Would be good if someone could get a good image and confirm or otherwise!
Will re-visit site when it stops raining. Hopefully will see at closer range.

Hi Jan,

Are you able to say why a Whiskered, and not a Black-fronted, Tern? Black-fronted would be a lot more likely.

cheers

[Jan Keast]

I'm much more familiar with whiskered than black-fronted but from looking at field guides and my little experience of black-fronted:
There wasn't the distinct white rump vs grey back and wings and tail tip of the black-fronted. Whole top of bird was uniformly pale, I particularly looked for this. No differences in shade, brown feathers so don't think it is an immature.
Underneath pale.
Bill appeared uniformly black. Not close enough to determine if base or all bill very dark red but definitely did not look orange at all. I know whiskered are meant to have red or partly red bills but from seeing them regularly in Aus, their bills often appear black in non-breeding plumage especially from a distance. Bill quite thin. Couldn't see legs.
White crown. Distinct band around nape, not mottled or uneven.
Flight buoyant but less so than white-winged black tern. Picking up prey from surface of water of pond, not flying over adjacent land in 45 minutes. No diving or settling on water when feeding. Are there diagnostic differences in feeding technique between black-fronted and whiskered? Field guide to NZ birds mentions black-fronted typically feeding from 2m above water. This bird was much higher than this, 4 m at least.
Jan

[Michael Szabo]

Did you get any photos Jan?

[Jan Keast]

No photos unfortunately. Would have to be in the hand with the phone I have.

[GrahamB]

I have a feeling I saw this (or similar) bird a couple of weeks at Waikanae Estuary - sitting on a post at the entrance to the lagoon exit channel (car-park). I only had my phone camera and they were of such poor resolution to be worthless. I will drop down to Pharazyn today with a proper camera and 'scope.
Cheers, GrahamB

[RussCannings]

Hi all,

Also worth ruling out Little Tern (non-breeding) as I'm bot sure the description along discounts that possibility. Always fun to find out if place terns.

Russ

[Jan Keast]

Hi all,

Didn't spot it this morning between 0945 and 1015. Left Graham to find it!

Didn't strike me as a little tern, which I'm familiar with from Darwin because it was bigger. Also more buoyant less direct flight, no hovering or plunge diving into surface of water in the 45 minutes I watched it.

Jan