Arctic Tern - Greg Hays
Report

Contributor

Date

Location

Lake Norman (Mecklenburg Co.)
Mecklenburg, North Carolina, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist
Map
Map Coordinates: 35.4858337, -80.9355927
Age
Not specified
Sex
Not specified

Observation details

Photos. First record for Mecklenburg County. Originally thought to be a common tern, but after soliciting additional opinion, confirmed as Arctic by multiple experienced seabirders (thx to Kate Sutherland, Alan Kneidel, and Tom Reed). This mid-sized, long-tailed tern appeared to be in transitional plumage exhibiting a full black cap with a black bill, some white streaking on the gray underparts and smudges on the otherwise uniformly gray upperwings. Gray belly, uniformly gray upperwings, and thin dark edge to tail feathers rule out Forster’s Tern. Thin dark edging to the primaries (without the classic dark “wedge”), small head and small bill unlike Common Tern. Twice observed the bird plunge diving, stopping just short of entering the water to presumably pick something off the surface.

Technical information

Dimensions
1024 pixels x 685 pixels
Original file size
104.49 KB