BirdingNZ.net

I thought it best to start a new topic.

I thought it is a Little Tern, but it has been suggested to me that it is a Least Tern

Here is a close up.

Cheers, Grahame

To me it looks like a Fairy Tern, a non-breeding adult, from Australia? See illustration below from The Australian Bird Guide.

Here is a couple more photos.

Here the same photo that was overexposed and been corrected by Paul.

Grahame

Are we really sure this just isnt a little tern, I know the legs a a tad shorter than a little but it could be just due to the level when taking the photo.
Looks like it is starting to moulting into breeding plumage

Perfect fit on the Aus fairy. But I'm not familiar enough with our own to call it.

I would need to see the bird in the flesh or super photos to make a call but a Fairy Tern with no leg bands would be extraordinarily rare in NZ which is probably why Paul Gibson raised the suggestion of an Aus. I am not sure that it is heavy enough for a Fairy and don't think the legs are right

OK. Before this gets too weird.

It's a Little Tern. The bridle stripe is the last part of the head pattern to develop but if you look carefully you can see that it is developing. I too have wondered about the possibility of Australian Fairy Terns for similar birds in the past and then seen them become Little Terns as the moult progresses. There is also enough black there to see that it is going to have a narrow supercilium going well back over the eye.

Also, if anyone hears it call it will let you know exactly what it is.

Ian

Thanks for that explanation Ian, it's very useful.
Michael