Tern, Lake Tahoe, CA (1 Viewer)

[djleahy]

Terns are relatively unusual at Lake Tahoe (compared to the ocean or bayside coast in California). Here are a few pics of a bird I found this morning at Lake Forest Beach, adjacent to Tahoe City, California. I believe this bird has been sighted and identified locally but I'm submitting this here because (1) I don't have the skillz to uniquely identify this bird from these looks, and (2) always good to get independent analysis!

 

[Larry Lade]

To my eyes your bird mostly resembles a Common Tern. It will be interesting to see what others say.

 

[SteveClifton]

To my eyes your bird mostly resembles a Common Tern. It will be interesting to see what others say.

In the middle pic it appears to have all pale & translucent secondaries (Common would show a dark bar) so Arctic Tern would be a better fit for me.

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

Bill looks more like Common Tern in shape and size to me, and carpal bar looks farly strong on 4th pic, so leaning towards Common myself

Jan

 

[SteveClifton]

Bill looks more like Common Tern in shape and size to me, and carpal bar looks farly strong on 4th pic, so leaning towards Common myself

Jan

I agree with Jan about the bill shape. Not sure Carpal bar is sufficiently clear to eliminate either as they both have one (Common & Arctic).

Not much else to go on here to reliably clinch it either way. Perhaps best left as a 'Commic' from these images.

 

[MichelleOhio]

Can't help with the I.D., but just wanted to say I love Lake Tahoe! You can't tell what is water and what is sun they are both so blue!

 

[djleahy]

thanks!

Thanks, everyone! Both Arctic and Common would be new birds for me, so for now I will simply list these as Common/Arctic. I've read some reports of terns being seen by other birders at this park (Lake Forest Beach, just east of Tahoe City); one report spoke of an early morning count of 22 Commons and 2 juvie Arctics. So almost certainly a Common Tern, but I'll work on getting better photos before making that claim, and study my references more closely for these two species.

Sounds like 7:45 AM is the time to see a big flock of terns there these days! Three cheers for the fall migration!