Fairy Tern

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Yellow Rock Beach, S King Island, Tas IMG_1597 20211216 - Adult breeding plumage: all-yellow bill for ssp nereis.
CLICK for two with Crested Tern in background.

Notes: Cf. Little Tern: Big boofy-headed look, pearly-grey tone of mantle, relatively thick
white fringes to folded primaries. Juvenile has heavily scalloped upperparts, black bill.
Adult non-breeding: bill dull yellow with blackish tip & base. Nominate nereis adult breeding:
white lores, black cap & all-yellow bill. Ssp exsul smaller, black tip to bill in breeding plumage.
Nominate sedentary in SE, migratory in SW. Ssp exsul rare; may occur on outer Coral Sea Isls.

Range from Morcombe^© (modified)

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, S Vic IMG_3752 20220416 - black base to bill shows beginning transition to non-breeding.
Non-breeding White-winged Black Tern behind. CLICK for non-breeding on left & late-juvenile on right.

Mud Island, Port Phillip Bay, S Vic IMG_3782 20160402 - Adult breeding Fairy Tern on left, & on right adult breeding
Little Tern (black loral stripe, dark carpel-bar).

Yellow Rock Beach, S King Island, Tas IMG_1574 20211216 - Adult ~breeding plumage. CLICK for another view.

Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, Melbourne, S Vic IMG_4007 20230718 - Adult non-breeding plumage. CLICK for another view.

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, S Vic IMG_3776 20220416 - Non-breeding plumage. CLICK for another w. two
White-winged Black Terns in different moults.

Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, S Vic IMG_4375 20230721 - Non-breeding plumage, w. Crested Tern. CLICK for one alone.

Mud Island, Port Phillip Bay, S Vic IMG_3843 20160402 - Juvenile & Adult non-breeding. CLICK for juvenile and late-juvenile.

Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, Melbourne S Vic IMG_3167+3201+3227 20230707 - non-breeding plumage

Ricketts Point, Beaumaris, Melbourne S Vic IMG_3997 20230718 - non-breeding plumage