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Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Gochfeld, Michael Burger, Joanna Nisbet, Ian C. T. Poole, Adam Gill, F. |
| Copyright Year | 1998 |
| Abstract | The roseate tern is a mediumsized, light colored tern with a dark cap and long tail. In breeding plumage, the adult has a black cap and nape, a pale gray back and underwing, white underparts, and a white rump. Black tips on the outer primaries contrast with the otherwise pale upperwing. The tail is white and deeply forked with long streamers. On perched birds, the tail extends beyond the wingtips. The bill is black with a dark red base. The legs and feet are dark red and the iris is brownish-black. Sexes are alike in plumage. The non-breeding adult has brown legs, a black bill, and a white forehead with a black mask extending from the eye to the nape. The juvenile roseate tern has a dark brown cap, a black bill, and black legs. The back is brown and barred, making it appear scaly. On juveniles, there is a white trailing edge on the wing and a dark carpal bar on the upperwing. The tail lacks the long streamers present in adults. The flight of the roseate tern is light and graceful with rapid wingbeats. The call is a soft chew-ick and the alarm call is a harsh krack that resembles the sound of ripping fabric. The roseate tern can be confused with the similar-appearing common tern (Sterna hirundo) and Forster’s tern (S. forsteri), both of which are fairly common in New Jersey. The roseate tern has paler upperparts and a longer tail than the common tern. The call of the common tern is a harsh, protracted and descending kee-earrr. Unlike the roseate tern, the Forster’s tern has a gray tail and silvery gray outer primaries. The call of the Forster’s tern is a harsh, abrupt kyarr. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.2173/bna.370 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/33220/PDF/1/ |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.370 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
