294 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



Breeds. — From Straits of Gibraltar south alon.q^ Morocco Coast 

 and West Coast of Africa to Bcngucla. 



The typical race " S. m. maxima" is American. 



Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis Latham. Sand- 

 wich Tern. Fr. Hirondelle dc mer caugek ; Gei'. Brandsee- 

 schwalbe ; Ital. Beccapesci. 



$ $ summer. Above pale blue grey, crown and nape glossy 

 black, nape feathers long and pointed, tail white ; beneath white 

 with faint rosy tinge ; inner web of ist primary white, and next 

 shaft a dark grey stripe, which in the middle is about as broad 

 as outer web, the white extends to the tip. Bill black, tip for 

 about lo m.m. yellow. Legs and feet black. In winter, crown 

 is white streaked black and there is a dark patch in front of 

 eye. Wing 288-318. Tarsus 25-27. Fork of tail 68-80. Bill 

 51-59. In young : crown and nape freckled black and white, and 

 upper parts are pale grey barred black. 



Breeds. — British Isles, Denmark, W. German Coast, Holland, 

 Channel Islands, Spain, Sardinia, S. Italy, Sicily, Tunis, Black 

 and Caspian Seas. Migrates ; occurs in winter N. African Coast, 

 Canaries (rare), and West Coast of Africa to Cape, also in Red Sea, 

 Arabian Coasts and S. Asia to India. 



Sterna hirundo hirundo L. Common Tern. Fr. 

 Hirondelle de mer Pierre-Garin ; Ger. Flussseeschwalbe ; Ital. 

 Rondine di mare ; Swed. Fisktjirna. 



^ 5 summer. Above pale blue grey, upper tail coverts and 

 tail white, outer webs of tail streamers dark grey ; crown and 

 nape black ; beneath white, tinged pinkish grey ; chin, cheeks, 

 under tail and wing coverts and axillaries white ; shafts of 

 primaries white, ist primary outer web black, inner web white 

 and next shaft a dark grey stripe, in the middle of the feather 

 4-5 m.m. broad. Bill coral red, blackish at tip. Legs and feet 

 coral red. In winter, forehead is white, crown black with white 

 streaks and in front of eye a dark patch, underparts white. 

 Wing 250-270. Tarsus 19-21. P^ork of tail 70-90. Bill 30-39. 

 Young : above grey mottled and barred pale brown with bufif 

 tips, and on lesser wing coverts a greyish brown band ; beneath 

 white. 



