Lesser Crested Tern??

[LJG]

Believe it or not this is the first time I have seen these on Bribie Island so new for me. There was quite a few. They didn't seem to worry about fishermen walking back and forth.

[seaslug]

Good catch Lloyd. My book says common just North of where you are so it's probably not surprising to get them at Bribie on occasions.

[Alan]

Lucky you I can't say I've seen one either.

Found this....

"Tern identification in general is notoriously difficult (about on par with wader/shorebird identification). Though it is easier to see when the two species are side by side, there is a size difference. Where this is most obvious is the size of the head and the wings proportionate to the body. The Crested Tern has a “Boofy” appearance due to the head and beak being quite large (not as large as a Caspian Tern but noticeable). The Lesser Crested Tern has a smaller head in comparison and while not as sleek and elegant as say a Little or a Whiskered Tern has a more compact and put-together appearance than the Crested Tern.
The wings of the Crested Tern stick out much further past the tail than do the wings of a Lesser Crested Tern and in flight they are noticeably larger.
The other feature is of course beak colour. The beak of a Crested Tern is a pale almost lemon yellow (though not quite that vibrant). The beak of a Lesser Crested Tern should be organgey-yellow. Though this is mentioned in all of the field guides it isn’t always the best indicator. However in the case of your photographs the colour is consistent and the beak always shows as orangey-yellow.
I have included links to a website with plenty of photographs of both species for comparison:
http://www.graemechapman.com.au/libr...otos.php?c=512
http://www.graemechapman.com.au/libr...otos.php?c=509
I hope this information has been helpful in answering your question, if you have anything further to ask please contact us.
Thank you,
Rebecca Ryan
Information Officer

[Isac]

Nice and detailed images Lloyd, lovely scene. In #1, I'd remove the half bird on the right and dare I say it, straighten #2.