Unidentified Gull or Tern at Tokaanu

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Jim Kirker
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:54 pm

Unidentified Gull or Tern at Tokaanu

Postby Jim Kirker » Tue May 08, 2018 8:54 pm

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.
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Caspian tern at Rotoaira 05/05/18
P1050185.JPG (237.34 KiB) Viewed 2028 times
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Unidentified tern at Tokaanau 05/05/18
P1050163 (2).JPG (54.44 KiB) Viewed 2028 times
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Unidentified tern at Tokaanu 05/05/18
P1050164 (2).JPG (67.11 KiB) Viewed 2028 times
Last edited by Jim Kirker on Wed May 09, 2018 7:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Davidthomas
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Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:05 am

Re: Unidentified Tern at Tokaanu

Postby Davidthomas » Tue May 08, 2018 9:08 pm

The whiskered tern in non breeding plumage perhaps?


Other devils advocate option was a blackbilled Gull.
Jim Kirker
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:54 pm

Re: Unidentified Tern at Tokaanu

Postby Jim Kirker » Tue May 08, 2018 10:44 pm

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 :)
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sav
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Location: Havelock North
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Re: Unidentified Tern at Tokaanu

Postby sav » Wed May 09, 2018 11:37 am

Hey Jim,

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

cheers
Sav Saville
Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders

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