View allAll Photos Tagged CASPIAN
We went on a visit to Penguin Island off Rockingham yesterday. Unfortunately we didn't see any wild Little Penguins but we saw some in the rehabilitation centre there. The island was heaving with terns, both Large Crested and a single Caspian
Along the Lake Ontario shoreline and below a photo of aerial maneuvers as it prepared to dive. Unfortunately the water entry was too far away for photos.
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This Caspian Tern just caught a fish in the pond. After swallowing the fish it went through his usual beak cleaning routine. This is so predictable if you are prepared you can have a great action shot. Richmond Hill, Ontario
Largest tern in the world; widespread but typically uncommon. Thick, bright-red bill is distinctive; most have small dark marking near the tip. Note solid black cap in summer which turns to black streaks in winter. Juveniles have V-shaped markings on the upperparts. Feeds by cruising over lakes, rivers, estuaries, and reservoirs looking for fish, then plunging to catch them. Smooth wingbeats, more gull-like than choppy flight of small-bodied terns. Very vocal, giving loud raucous screams. Compare especially with Royal Tern, which is slightly smaller and more slender, and has a thinner, more orangey bill.
eBird
Certainly entertaining to watch these acrobatic terns maneuvering in the air and plunging into the water.
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I tried to get shots of him the very instant just before he dives headfirst into the water but I would always end up with just the splash it made! So I just opted to try and get shots of it in flight near the water. Maybe one of these day I will have better luck with these birds. :)
Went for a walk around the Brooklands Lagoon this afternoon. First I didn't know what this was due to it's body size similar to a spoonbill I thought. Turns out it is a very large heavily built tern, silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips, a large pointed bright red bill with dark tip, a relatively short slightly forked tail. Adults have black legs and a black cap to below the eye during the breeding season; the cap becomes speckled with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the year.
369) Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia, Camar Besar
This is the world largest tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. They feed mainly on fish, which they dive for, hovering high over the water and then plunging. They also occasionally eat large insects, the young and eggs of other birds and rodents. They may fly up to 60 km from the breeding colony to catch fish; they often fish on freshwater lakes as well as at sea. A winter visitor here in Malaysia.
The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia, Sternidae, previously Laridae) is a short-term resident of my area during its migration to warm winter locations.
Terrell's Island Preserve
Lake Butte des Morts
Winnebago County, Wisconsin
AU309651