SOOTY TERN 



75. Sterna fuficata. 17 in. 



Adult in summer. Above sooty-black, except the 

 white outer tail feathers. Crown, line through the eye, 

 bill and feet, black; forehead and underparts white; eye 

 red. Young birds are smoky slate color all over, with 

 th<> tail feathers, and some on the back and breast, tipped 

 with whitish. This is the " egg bird " of tropical coun- 

 tries, thousands of their eggs being taken for food. 



Note. A nasal " ker-wacky-wak " (Chapman). 



Nest. A single egg deposited in a hollow in the sand ; 

 it is creamy-white, spotted with blackish-brown. 



Range. Tropical countries; breeds north to the Flor- 

 ida Keys and islands in the Gulf of Mexico; sometimes 

 \vanders north to New England. 



BRIDLED TERN 



76. Sterna onathcta. 15 in. 



Similar to the last, but the back and wings much 

 lighter, and the white of the forehead extends over the 

 eyes: nape whitish. 

 * Range. Breeds north to the Bahamas. 



