I am a bit unsure about my identification. The common tern (
Sterna hirundo) or Forster's tern (
Sterna forsteri)? I can only go by checklists at ebird sightings that show Forster's tern much more common during February along the Texas/Louisiana coast than the common tern. If it is truly Forster's tern, this bird has the distinction of being an exclusive resident of N. America. One look at its wings tells you it is a speed demon that can turn on a dime. This tern was not recognized as a separate species until 1831 and was named in honor of Johann Reinhold Forster, a German pastor/naturalist who accompanied Capt. Cook on his 1772 trip around the world.
I am a bit unsure about my identification. The common tern (Sterna hirundo) or Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri)? I can only go by checklists at ebird sightings that show Forster's tern much more common during February along the Texas/Louisiana coast than the common tern. If it is truly Forster's tern, this bird has the distinction of being an exclusive resident of N. America. One look at its wings tells you it is a speed demon that can turn on a dime. This tern was not recognized as a separate species until 1831 and was named in honor of Johann Reinhold Forster, a German pastor/naturalist who accompanied Capt. Cook on his 1772 trip around the world.
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