50 



FORSTER TERN 

 69. Sterna forsteri. 15 in. 



No crest on this or any of the following terns. Tail 

 forked 4 in.; below pure white. In summer, with bill 

 and feet orange red; crown black. In winter, the crown 

 is white, but there is a blackish patch about the eyes, 

 and the bill and feet are dark. These beautiful birds 

 are often known as " Sea Swallows," because of their 

 similarity in form and flight to those well known land 

 birds. They are the embodiment of grace as they dart 

 about high in the air. bill pointed downward, alert and 

 ready to dart down upon any small fish or eel that 

 may attract their fancy. They usually get their food 

 by plunging. 



Notes. A sharp, twanging " cack." 



Nest. A hollow in the ground, .in which the 3 eggs are 

 laid in June. Eggs whitish, greenish or brownish, vari- 

 ously marked with brown, black and lavender. (l.SOx 

 1.30). 



Range. Breeds in the interior, north to Manitoba, 

 and on the coasts to Virginia and Calif. Winters from 

 the Gulf States southward. 



