Common Tern - Richmond My daughter, dog and I were out on Iona South Jetty, near the Vancouver airport, in search of shorebirds and on the way back we came across this little guy. Common terns migrate through our area but are seen infrequently. They are a great deal smaller, not to mention quieter, than our regular summer residents, the Caspian terns. Common terns can be found world wide, but the birds that we see here on the west coast most likely breed in Alberta or the North West Territories. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/id This particular bird is already in non breeding plumage which is different from a couple items like the cap is complete to the beak and the gray mantle is solid. The time of day this bird was looking for a roost was perfect as we were into the long light and he seemed to be content to be the perfect subject for 5 minutes. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Common Tern - Richmond, BC
My daughter, dog and I were out on Iona South Jetty, near the Vancouver airport, in search of shorebirds and on the way back we came across this little guy. Common terns migrate through our area but are seen infrequently. They are a great deal smaller, not to mention quieter, than our regular summer residents, the Caspian terns. Common terns can be found world wide, but the birds that we see here on the west coast most likely breed in Alberta or the North West Territories. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Tern/id  This particular bird is already in non breeding plumage which is different from a couple items like the cap is complete to the beak and the gray mantle is solid. The time of day this bird was looking for a roost was perfect as we were into the long light and he seemed to be content to be the perfect subject for 5 minutes.