﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  I47 
  

  

  Sterna 
  dougalli 
  ]\Iontagu 
  

   Roseate 
  Tern 
  

  

  Hate 
  7 
  

  

  Sterna 
  dougalli 
  Montagu. 
  Orn. 
  Diet. 
  Sup. 
  1813 
  

  

  DeKav. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  304, 
  fig. 
  280 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  72 
  

  

  dou'galli, 
  in 
  honor 
  of 
  Dr 
  McDougall 
  

  

  Description. 
  Breeding 
  plumage: 
  Mantle 
  pearl-gray 
  extending 
  to 
  the 
  

   base 
  of 
  the 
  tail; 
  neck 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  white 
  tinted 
  with 
  delicate 
  rose-pink; 
  

   tail 
  white, 
  the 
  streamers 
  very 
  long 
  and 
  white 
  on 
  both 
  webs, 
  turning 
  grayish 
  

   toward 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  inner; 
  primaries 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  Common 
  tern, 
  but 
  

   shorter 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  inner 
  web 
  covering 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  space 
  and 
  

   extending 
  to 
  the 
  tip; 
  bill 
  black, 
  reddish 
  at 
  the 
  base; 
  feet 
  bright 
  red. 
  In 
  

   winter: 
  Front 
  of 
  the 
  cap 
  mixed 
  with 
  white 
  and 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  without 
  

   the 
  ros}^ 
  tinge. 
  Immature: 
  Head 
  white, 
  marked 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  and 
  back 
  

   with 
  brownish 
  gray; 
  eye 
  and 
  ear 
  regions 
  blackish; 
  under 
  parts 
  white; 
  upper 
  

   parts 
  pale 
  pearl-gray, 
  marked 
  with 
  buff 
  and 
  blackish; 
  the 
  feathers 
  with 
  

   submarginal 
  dusky 
  marks; 
  bill 
  and 
  feet 
  dusky 
  brownish; 
  tail 
  slightly 
  forked. 
  

  

  Distinctive 
  marks. 
  This 
  species 
  is 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  

   season 
  by 
  its 
  slender 
  elegant 
  form, 
  pure 
  white 
  tail, 
  and 
  rosy 
  under 
  parts. 
  

  

  Length 
  14-15 
  inches; 
  extent 
  30; 
  wing 
  g. 
  25-9. 
  75; 
  tail 
  7-8, 
  forked 
  3.5- 
  

   4.5; 
  bill 
  1.5, 
  depth 
  .35; 
  gonys 
  i; 
  tarsus 
  .85; 
  tibia 
  bare 
  .4; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  

   claw 
  I. 
  Young: 
  Length 
  11 
  ; 
  tail 
  4; 
  bill 
  1.35. 
  

  

  The 
  Roseate, 
  or 
  McDougall 
  tern, 
  is 
  an 
  "uncommon 
  but 
  regular 
  summer 
  

   resident 
  on 
  Long 
  Island," 
  arriving 
  in 
  May 
  and 
  departing 
  in 
  September 
  or 
  

   early 
  October. 
  A 
  few 
  pairs 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  by 
  Dutcher 
  

   Chapman 
  and 
  Braislin 
  nesting 
  among 
  the 
  colonies 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  tern 
  on 
  

   Gardiner's, 
  Fishers, 
  and 
  the 
  neighboring 
  islands. 
  It 
  is 
  an 
  accidental 
  visitant 
  

   in 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  ; 
  one 
  from 
  Lake 
  Keuka 
  is 
  reported 
  in 
  the 
  Auburn 
  

   List 
  ; 
  one 
  from 
  Lake 
  Erie 
  in 
  the 
  Buffalo 
  List 
  ; 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  Niagara 
  river, 
  

   May 
  31, 
  1886, 
  in 
  the 
  Davison 
  List. 
  It 
  is 
  holarctic 
  in 
  range 
  but 
  confined 
  to 
  

   warm 
  latitudes, 
  on 
  our 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  breeding 
  from 
  Florida 
  to 
  Maine. 
  

  

  The 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  Roseate 
  tern 
  resemble 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  commoner 
  species 
  

   but 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  wary 
  bird 
  and 
  its 
  voice 
  is 
  quite 
  characteristic, 
  the 
  alaiTn 
  

   note 
  being 
  a 
  harsh 
  cack, 
  very 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  call 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  and 
  

   Arctic 
  species. 
  

  

  