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July 13, 2007

Friday Feathers

A medium-sized tern with pale gray upperparts, black cap, and white underparts, the Forster's Tern has an orange bill with black tip. Wings are pale gray with paler primaries. Tail is pale gray and deeply forked with dark inner edge and white outer edge. Legs and feet are orange.

Sexes are similar. Winter adult lacks black cap but has distinctive black eye patch, gray streaks on head, dark bill, and dull orange legs and feet. Juvnile resembles winter adult but has brown markings on back, nape, head, and upperwings that fade and orange-based black bill that darkens by end of summer.

Diet consists mostly of fish, but also eats insects, small crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, and tadpoles. Catches fish at surface or by plunge diving into water from a perch or a hover; catches insects on the wing or on the water surface; reportedly eats dead fish and frogs exposed by receding ice; occasionally eats bird eggs.

Cindy