Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[peter paul]

Hey all,
Just to throw another specimen into the mix, here (
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30364262) is a bird that Simon Taylor and
I found a couple of summers ago at Nickerson.  We noted many of the
structural, plumage, and molt features that Shai mentions in the 2011
listserv email.

This album has a couple more pictures of the same bird:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/albums/72157687846819856

Happy tern-ing,
Tripper

On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 9:40 PM, Long Island Birding 
wrote:

> Hello Shai and everyone,
> Thanks so much for your detailed response Shai.  I changed the listing to
> Common Tern and added one more picture with more of a side view, but
> unfortunately I wasn't able to get a flight shot or any shots with the
> wings spread open.  I am curious if this bird will reach more of the
> classic breeding plumage that I am used to seeing or remain dark and how
> that might affect its ability to breed this year.  I do also think the legs
> are a bit darker than the pictures let on.  There was another interesting
> bird yesterday that was speculated to be an adult common tern showing
> retarded plumage, however it looked quite different than the one in my
> report and resembled more of a second summer tern.  Thank you again for
> shedding some light on this Shai!
> Mike Z.
> --
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Please submit your observations to eBird:
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--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[peter paul]

Hey all,
Just to throw another specimen into the mix, here (
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30364262) is a bird that Simon Taylor and
I found a couple of summers ago at Nickerson.  We noted many of the
structural, plumage, and molt features that Shai mentions in the 2011
listserv email.

This album has a couple more pictures of the same bird:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/129132563@N05/albums/72157687846819856

Happy tern-ing,
Tripper

On Thu, Jun 7, 2018 at 9:40 PM, Long Island Birding 
wrote:

> Hello Shai and everyone,
> Thanks so much for your detailed response Shai.  I changed the listing to
> Common Tern and added one more picture with more of a side view, but
> unfortunately I wasn't able to get a flight shot or any shots with the
> wings spread open.  I am curious if this bird will reach more of the
> classic breeding plumage that I am used to seeing or remain dark and how
> that might affect its ability to breed this year.  I do also think the legs
> are a bit darker than the pictures let on.  There was another interesting
> bird yesterday that was speculated to be an adult common tern showing
> retarded plumage, however it looked quite different than the one in my
> report and resembled more of a second summer tern.  Thank you again for
> shedding some light on this Shai!
> Mike Z.
> --
> *NYSbirds-L List Info:*
> Welcome and Basics 
> Rules and Information 
> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave
> 
> *Archives:*
> The Mail Archive
> 
> Surfbirds 
> ABA 
> *Please submit your observations to **eBird*
> *!*
> --
>

--

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2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[Long Island Birding]

Hello Shai and everyone,
Thanks so much for your detailed response Shai.  I changed the listing to
Common Tern and added one more picture with more of a side view, but
unfortunately I wasn't able to get a flight shot or any shots with the
wings spread open.  I am curious if this bird will reach more of the
classic breeding plumage that I am used to seeing or remain dark and how
that might affect its ability to breed this year.  I do also think the legs
are a bit darker than the pictures let on.  There was another interesting
bird yesterday that was speculated to be an adult common tern showing
retarded plumage, however it looked quite different than the one in my
report and resembled more of a second summer tern.  Thank you again for
shedding some light on this Shai!
Mike Z.

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

Re: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[Long Island Birding]

Hello Shai and everyone,
Thanks so much for your detailed response Shai.  I changed the listing to
Common Tern and added one more picture with more of a side view, but
unfortunately I wasn't able to get a flight shot or any shots with the
wings spread open.  I am curious if this bird will reach more of the
classic breeding plumage that I am used to seeing or remain dark and how
that might affect its ability to breed this year.  I do also think the legs
are a bit darker than the pictures let on.  There was another interesting
bird yesterday that was speculated to be an adult common tern showing
retarded plumage, however it looked quite different than the one in my
report and resembled more of a second summer tern.  Thank you again for
shedding some light on this Shai!
Mike Z.

--

NYSbirds-L List Info:
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm
http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm

ARCHIVES:
1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html
2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L
3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01

Please submit your observations to eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/

--

RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[Shaibal Mitra]

Dear Mike and all,

This is an interesting bird, and well worth careful discussion. The photos are, 
as is so often necessarily the case, not ideal for assessing wing pattern and 
structure, and several other features. To my eye, the combination of adult-like 
plumage, darkish bill, not so dark legs, and not very deeply gray underparts is 
consistent with an early season variation of adult hirundo Common Tern that we 
do see from time to time.

The jury is certainly still out on the status of longipennis Common Terns on 
the east coast, and in the past I have eBirded the ones I've seen under regular 
"Common Tern"--but with lots of notation and documentation. Based on the 
checklists you've linked from Jay and Michael, provisionally specifying this 
form, I agree it might be best to take this approach while we work things out. 
At least it would be easier to collect and access the evidence.

Anyway, two of the best (and earliest in NY) candidates for longipennis were 
birds at Cupsogue on 26 Jun 2011 and 24 Jun 2014. I've aggregated photos of 
these at the following link:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskD7WtGd

As you will see, these birds were not only different in soft parts colors and 
plumage from same-aged hirundo COTE, but also different in terms of structure 
and molt (as explained in part in the note to this listserv from 27 Jun 2011, 
copied at the end of this note).

I've seen a few more also, including these two I was able to find quickly just 
now:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37872552
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37963638

It seems odd that the best candidates have always been second-summer (TY) 
birds, but there are two points worth emphasizing on this front. First, 
subadult terns are definitely proven to be prone to wander; second, these 
longipennis candidates differ very strongly in multiple ways from the range of 
variation I've documented in same-aged hirundo COTE over the past 20 years. The 
links in my copied email are long defunct, but I can direct those who are 
interested to long series of images of TY hirundo COTE from our area.

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore



From: bounce-122625024-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-122625024-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Long Island Birding 
[michaelz...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2018 8:08 PM
To: birds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) 
Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

Hello all,
On 5/22 at Nickerson Beach I observed a Common Tern that stood out from the 
rest.  It was the same size/shape as the other common terns, but the bill and 
legs were much darker.
I showed the bird to a friend who is an eBird reviewer and he suggested that it 
was a Common Tern (longipennis).  He also mentioned that this particular 
subspecies has been previously reported on Long Island.
Looking up those reports, I found there were two entries with photos by Jay 
McGowan and Michael McBrien on eBird, described by both as exceedingly rare.  
Here are the checklists:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S14608476
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30291552

After seeing this I was surprised, because I have seen birds that looked like 
this before (even one yesterday).  In the past I have heard them referred to as 
portlandica type birds, but it is my understanding that portlandica refers to 
first summer tern plumage, which this bird clearly was not (I would say it was 
also clearly not second summer tern plumage either.).  My report was not 
accepted to eBird as of yet, so it is not in eBird output, but here is the bird 
I saw (Pictures in the linked eBird checklist and short video in youtube):
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46147297
https://youtu.be/qGdfoevCKxU

Anyway I would like to hear any thoughts or comments. Thanks,
Mike Z.
--



From: bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Shaibal Mitra 
[shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 11:43 AM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Possible Siberian Common Tern (S. h. longipennis) on Long 
Island

A second-summer type Common Tern present at Cupsogue, just east of Moriches 
Inlet, last weekend (25-26 June) resembled the Siberian subspecies of Common 
Tern (Sterna hirundo longipennis):

Bill black, with a slight red tinge
Legs dark reddish-black
Ventral body deeply gray, especially for a second-summer type individual
Wings appeared relatively long both at rest and in flight

Its wingtip pattern also differed from the typical summer pattern of local 
Common Terns in that all the primaries (except perhaps p10) appeared uniformly 
fresh and pale, but it is not very unusual for non-adults to vary in this 
regard.

In my experience, however, it is extremely rare to see such dark legs on any 
early summer Common Tern (even first summer birds), and it is also extremely 
rare to see an 

RE: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

[Shaibal Mitra]

Dear Mike and all,

This is an interesting bird, and well worth careful discussion. The photos are, 
as is so often necessarily the case, not ideal for assessing wing pattern and 
structure, and several other features. To my eye, the combination of adult-like 
plumage, darkish bill, not so dark legs, and not very deeply gray underparts is 
consistent with an early season variation of adult hirundo Common Tern that we 
do see from time to time.

The jury is certainly still out on the status of longipennis Common Terns on 
the east coast, and in the past I have eBirded the ones I've seen under regular 
"Common Tern"--but with lots of notation and documentation. Based on the 
checklists you've linked from Jay and Michael, provisionally specifying this 
form, I agree it might be best to take this approach while we work things out. 
At least it would be easier to collect and access the evidence.

Anyway, two of the best (and earliest in NY) candidates for longipennis were 
birds at Cupsogue on 26 Jun 2011 and 24 Jun 2014. I've aggregated photos of 
these at the following link:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskD7WtGd

As you will see, these birds were not only different in soft parts colors and 
plumage from same-aged hirundo COTE, but also different in terms of structure 
and molt (as explained in part in the note to this listserv from 27 Jun 2011, 
copied at the end of this note).

I've seen a few more also, including these two I was able to find quickly just 
now:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37872552
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S37963638

It seems odd that the best candidates have always been second-summer (TY) 
birds, but there are two points worth emphasizing on this front. First, 
subadult terns are definitely proven to be prone to wander; second, these 
longipennis candidates differ very strongly in multiple ways from the range of 
variation I've documented in same-aged hirundo COTE over the past 20 years. The 
links in my copied email are long defunct, but I can direct those who are 
interested to long series of images of TY hirundo COTE from our area.

Shai Mitra
Bay Shore



From: bounce-122625024-3714...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-122625024-3714...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Long Island Birding 
[michaelz...@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2018 8:08 PM
To: birds
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Nickerson Beach - Possible Common Tern (longipennis) 
Species - Comments and thoughts welcome

Hello all,
On 5/22 at Nickerson Beach I observed a Common Tern that stood out from the 
rest.  It was the same size/shape as the other common terns, but the bill and 
legs were much darker.
I showed the bird to a friend who is an eBird reviewer and he suggested that it 
was a Common Tern (longipennis).  He also mentioned that this particular 
subspecies has been previously reported on Long Island.
Looking up those reports, I found there were two entries with photos by Jay 
McGowan and Michael McBrien on eBird, described by both as exceedingly rare.  
Here are the checklists:
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S14608476
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30291552

After seeing this I was surprised, because I have seen birds that looked like 
this before (even one yesterday).  In the past I have heard them referred to as 
portlandica type birds, but it is my understanding that portlandica refers to 
first summer tern plumage, which this bird clearly was not (I would say it was 
also clearly not second summer tern plumage either.).  My report was not 
accepted to eBird as of yet, so it is not in eBird output, but here is the bird 
I saw (Pictures in the linked eBird checklist and short video in youtube):
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46147297
https://youtu.be/qGdfoevCKxU

Anyway I would like to hear any thoughts or comments. Thanks,
Mike Z.
--



From: bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu 
[bounce-37742728-11143...@list.cornell.edu] on behalf of Shaibal Mitra 
[shaibal.mi...@csi.cuny.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2011 11:43 AM
To: NYSBIRDS (NYSBIRDS-L@cornell.edu)
Subject: [nysbirds-l] Possible Siberian Common Tern (S. h. longipennis) on Long 
Island

A second-summer type Common Tern present at Cupsogue, just east of Moriches 
Inlet, last weekend (25-26 June) resembled the Siberian subspecies of Common 
Tern (Sterna hirundo longipennis):

Bill black, with a slight red tinge
Legs dark reddish-black
Ventral body deeply gray, especially for a second-summer type individual
Wings appeared relatively long both at rest and in flight

Its wingtip pattern also differed from the typical summer pattern of local 
Common Terns in that all the primaries (except perhaps p10) appeared uniformly 
fresh and pale, but it is not very unusual for non-adults to vary in this 
regard.

In my experience, however, it is extremely rare to see such dark legs on any 
early summer Common Tern (even first summer birds), and it is also extremely 
rare to see an