TERNS 



(77) Hydrochelidon nigra suri= 

 namensis 



[Gmel.) (Gr., water, swallow; Lat., black). 



BLACK TERN. Ad. — Summer 

 plumage shown by the standing bird 

 and winter plumage by the flying one. 

 While making this remarkable change, 

 all intermediate stages of plumage 

 occur. Immature birds are similar 

 to winter adults, but have a black 

 crescent in front of the eye. L., 

 9.50; W., 8.25; T., 3.7s, forked i.oo; 

 B., 1.00. 



Range — Breeds from Ohio, Colo, 

 and Cal. north to Keewatin and B. C. 

 Casual on the i\tlantic coast during 

 migrations. 



(78) WHITE-X^riNGED BLACK 

 TERN. (Hydrochelidon leucoptera 

 (Temm.). An European species; acci- 

 dental in Wis. 



are usually damp affairs; they choose the tops of sunken 

 muskrat houses, floating piles of decaying rushes, or even 

 pieces of board; just a few grasses are laid down to prevent 

 the three eggs from rolling off and, in these rude domiciles, 

 handsome terns are hatched. They defend their homes 

 by dashing at intruders, uttering sharp, metallic 

 " peeks." 



Black Terns are exclusively fresh-water birds during the 

 nesting season. A few pairs nest in New York State, more 

 in Ohio, but the centre of their abundance seems to be in 

 the region from Wisconsin and South Dakota northward, 

 where they are found in numbers, often in company with 

 grebes and Franklin Gulls. Their changes in plumage from 

 summer to winter are very remarkable, but at all times they 

 are so different from other species that they can readily 

 be identified. 



The NODDY or NODDY TERN, as may be seen by 

 the colored picture, is very differently plumaged from other 

 terns and the tail is rounded instead of forked as other terns 



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