‘TERN, TERN, TERN’: THE UN-NOTORIOUS BYRD COUSINS
There are twelve (12!) species of tern – ‘swallows of the sea’ – that to a greater or lesser extent may be found on Abaco. Whether they will actually be visible at any given time is less certain, though. For a start, the only resident species is the lovely Royal Tern, available at many locations on Abaco and the cays throughout the year.
ROYAL TERNS Thalasseus maximus PR1
In the slightly less commonly-found category are the summer migrant terns that, by definition, are only in residence for around half the year. Four of these are fairly common in certain areas, and actually breed on Abaco; these include arguably the prettiest of all, the bridled tern. The other two tern species (gull-billed and sandwich) are more rare and as far as I can make out do not breed locally; or perhaps only rarely.
LEAST TERN Sternula antillarum SR B 1
BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
ROSEATE TERN Sterna Dougallii SR B 2
SOOTY TERN Onychoprion anaethetus SR B 2
GULL-BILLED TERN Gelochelidon nilotica SR 3
SANDWICH TERN Thalasseus sandvicensis SR 4
There is one rare winter resident migratory tern species. I had to check when the last one was recorded for Abaco. It was of course only in January this year, when ace birder-photographer Sally Chisholm saw one at Treasure Cay and managed to photograph it for posterity.
FORSTER’S TERN Sterna forsteri WR 4
The final four ‘Abaco’ terns are very much the occasional visitors. Three of them pass over the Bahamas on their longer migration, but may make a pit-stop around Abaco to take on fuel. Likelihood of sighting one? Slender but not impossible… The fourth, the Arctic Tern, is a very rare vagrant, a bird well away from its usual home or migration route as the result of storms or faulty satnav or sheer happenstance. Don’t travel to the Bahamas intent on seeing one.
CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia TR 4
As for the remaining three species, they are the transient black tern and common tern; and the vanishingly rare vagrant Arctic tern (the clue is in the name). No photos of any of these I’m afraid, so here’s a handy checklist instead.
ELECTIVE MUSICAL DIGRESSION
Written by Peter Seeger a few years earlier, Turn x 3 was released in 1965, the title track on the second album from the Byrds. At a rather febrile time in US history (Vietnam, draft riots, black civil rightists v cops and so on), this unusually palliative and thoughtful song with its religious connotations to some extent stood for peace and hope in a time of turmoil.
PS the somewhat laboured title of this post shoehorns in the name of another Byrds album, ‘The Notorious Byrd Brothers’
Photo credits: Keith Salvesen (1, 2, 3, 5, 18); Tony Hepburn (4); Alex Hughes (10, 11); Bruce Hallett (6, 7, 12); Woody Bracey (8, 13, 16); Duncan Wright (9); Dick Daniels (14); Sally Chisholm (15); Keith Kemp (17)
We have about four tern species along Lake Michigan, the Caspian being one, Forsters, Common and Black terns. They are a delight to watch when visiting the beach! Wonderful photos by the way!
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Thanks, FL (if I may?). Yes they are so rewarding to watch. As a matter of interest do you get piping plovers around you? If so, I’d love to know! They overwinter with us and one Michigan bird – Bahama Mama – has come to Abaco 4 or 5 years running…
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Terns are one of my favorites. Great post and thanks for the inclusion! I was just sitting here back home in MA watching a least tern catch fish. Peaceful.
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Hei! Hei! (as we nordics say). Thank you – and I didn’t ask about the inclusion since I have (rightly?) assumed I have credited use permission… Are you planning another visit?
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Fantastic gallery of terns, RH. Wow, to have ten terns at Abaco, that’s so many for one place. You have some rare beauties here, impressive. And these photos are truly delightful, for terns are never very close. Enjoyed the tern graphics, play on words with the song. I heard myself say “Wow” when I saw that first photo of the gull-billed tern with the upward extended wing (Alex Hughes). Great post, thanks so much.
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Thanks Jet. It was fun to write, and esp to arrange the pics (and even to include some of my own…). Alex is a proper photographer, as you can tell. I am useless at birds in flight…
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They are such glorious birds and these are stunning photographs.
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Thank you Cindy… and couldn’t you just watch them for hours while they fish (these, and diving pelicans)?
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