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        Special Topics 特別主題 >> Tern Conservation 燕鷗保育 >>  whiskered tern ?　鬚浮鷗？
        
(Message started by: Hendrix on May 13^th, 2005, 10:58pm)

Title: whiskered tern ?　鬚浮鷗？
Post by Hendrix on May 13^th, 2005, 10:58pm

http://look.com.hk/wings/tern/whisker/001.jpg

but their bill are in Black , not red like in the book ???

12/5 MPNR .  

Title: Re: whiskered tern ?
Post by Mike Kilburn on May 14^th, 2005, 7:56am

Hi Hendrix

This is where you have to believe the evidence of your eyes. You are right, these are Whiskered Terns, the book is not always 100% accurate.

Even if the bill is not as red as in the book, you can tellthese are Whiskered by comparing the other features - dark belly and white cheeks below a black cap.

Actually the bill is a very dark red - compare against the black cap and you should be able to see that. The Taiwanese guide shows a red bill with a dark tip and the pix in the photographic guide (p269 and one of the birds on p270))also how how dark red the bill can be, especially if the light is not too good.

Bill colour can be variable in other terns - in Hong Kong Common Terns have black bills and Roseate Terms have red bills. In the UK the reverse is true! This is one of the great things about birding - you can never run out of new things to learn if you keep looking carefully!

Cheers
Mike K

Title: Re: whiskered tern ?
Post by Hendrix on May 14^th, 2005, 3:29pm

thanks Mike for your info :)