﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  M3 
  

  

  The 
  Forster 
  tern 
  is 
  an 
  uncommon 
  bird 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  this 
  State, 
  

  

  occurring 
  as 
  a 
  transient 
  in 
  the 
  falh 
  It 
  has 
  rarely 
  been 
  rexjorted 
  from 
  tlie 
  

  

  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  although 
  it 
  breeds 
  at 
  St 
  Clair 
  Flats 
  and 
  formerly 
  did 
  

  

  so 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  islands 
  in 
  Lake 
  Erie. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  nearctic 
  species, 
  nesting 
  

  

  from 
  Texas 
  to 
  the 
  fur 
  countries. 
  It 
  undoubtedly 
  escapes 
  attention 
  many 
  

  

  times, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  from 
  its 
  close 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  Common 
  

  

  tern. 
  The 
  only 
  definite 
  migration 
  dates 
  are: 
  

  

  Rockaway, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Oct. 
  i, 
  1872; 
  Sept. 
  3, 
  1873. 
  N. 
  T. 
  Lawrence. 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  

  

  10: 
  13, 
  235 
  

   Good 
  Ground, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Sept. 
  7, 
  1882. 
  Butcher 
  Collection, 
  190 
  

   Ram's 
  Head 
  Shoals, 
  L. 
  I. 
  Sept. 
  17, 
  1883. 
  " 
  1353 
  

  

  Saratoga 
  lake, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Sept. 
  11, 
  1880. 
  Rich, 
  O. 
  & 
  O., 
  6: 
  91 
  

   Steuben 
  co., 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Fall 
  of 
  1898. 
  (Juvenal). 
  A. 
  H. 
  Wood 
  

  

  Sterna 
  hirundo 
  Linnaeus 
  

   Common 
  Tern 
  

  

  Plate 
  7 
  

  

  Sterna 
  hirundo 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:137 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  298, 
  fig. 
  275, 
  276 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  70 
  

  

  hirun'do, 
  Lat., 
  swallow 
  

  

  Description. 
  Breeding 
  plumage: 
  Top 
  of 
  head 
  black; 
  mantle 
  pearl- 
  

   gray, 
  deepest 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  ; 
  under 
  parts 
  similar 
  but 
  lighter 
  than 
  the 
  mantle 
  ; 
  

   borders 
  of 
  the 
  cap, 
  the 
  throat, 
  rump, 
  under 
  surface 
  of 
  wings, 
  and 
  axillaries 
  

   white; 
  first 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  primaries 
  blackish, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  silvered, 
  and 
  the 
  

   inner 
  webs 
  with 
  a 
  space 
  of 
  white 
  along 
  the 
  inner 
  edge 
  ; 
  lateral 
  tail 
  feathers 
  

   dusky 
  or 
  pearl-gray 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  webs, 
  white 
  or 
  nearly 
  so 
  on 
  the 
  inner; 
  bill 
  

   vermilion 
  red, 
  changing 
  to 
  black 
  at 
  the 
  tip; 
  feet 
  orange-red; 
  iris 
  dark 
  brown. 
  

   In 
  winter: 
  Similar, 
  but 
  the 
  cap 
  largely 
  white 
  toward 
  the 
  front; 
  under 
  

   parts 
  white; 
  bill 
  and 
  feet 
  duller. 
  Immature: 
  Similar 
  to 
  winter 
  adult 
  

   but 
  the 
  upper 
  parts 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  varied 
  with 
  light 
  brown 
  ; 
  forehead 
  grayish 
  

   white; 
  rump 
  ashy; 
  smaller, 
  and 
  the 
  tail 
  shorter; 
  bill 
  yellowish 
  at 
  base, 
  becom- 
  

   ing 
  blackish 
  at 
  tip; 
  feet 
  dull 
  yellow. 
  

  

  Length 
  13-16 
  inches; 
  extent 
  29-32; 
  wing 
  9.75-1 
  1.75; 
  tail 
  5-7, 
  forked 
  i 
  

   (in 
  the 
  yotmg) 
  to 
  3.5 
  in 
  breeding 
  birds; 
  bill 
  i. 
  25-1. 
  5; 
  depth 
  .T)2>\ 
  gonys 
  .8; 
  

   tarsus 
  .66-.85; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.05. 
  Young: 
  Length 
  12; 
  wing 
  9; 
  

   tail 
  4; 
  bill 
  1. 
  1 
  2-1. 
  15. 
  

  

  