61 
62. Sabine’s Gull. Xema sabini. L. 13-50. Similar to Franklin’s or Bonaparte’s 
Gull, especially the latter, but smaller ana with wings almost black, with a dark slate- 
grey hood bordered basally by a black 
line making a narrow ring around the 
upper neck, cutting sharply against a 
white, lower neck (Figure 100). 
Distinctions. Like a small Frank- 
lin’s Gull, but with a grey, black- 
bordered hood instead of a black one. 
Black legs and feet and black bill 
tipped with yellow. Tail forked, outer 
feathers about 1£ inches longer than 
middle ones (Figure 100). 
Juvenile darker and more evenly 
sooty above than either Franklin's or 
Bonaparte’s Gulls. Tail forked. In all 
plumages the wings seem character- 
istic, the primaries and wrist are almost 
solid black, the secondaries very largely 
solid white. 
Field Marks. Should be an easy bird to recognize in life, a small dark-hooded iGull 
with forked tail. Intensely black primaries and wrist contrasted with a great white 
area of secondaries. It is, however, too rare, except in the far north, to be accepted as a 
record on field observations alone. 
Nesting. Usually on the moss of the boggy edges of tundra pools. 
Distribution. The Arctic regions, only occasionally wandering down into southern 
sections. We have stray records for northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, and 
southern British Columbia. 
One of the most delicately beautiful of the Gulls, but too rare to receive 
more than passing mention. 
Subfamily — Sterninae. Terns 
General Description. The Terns, or Sea Swallows as they are sometimes called, are 
smaller, lighter, and of more graceful build and habit than the Gulls. 
Distinctions. The bill — lighter, and more slender than that of the Gulls (See bill, 
Figures 101 and 102 compared with 94 to 100) — and the forked tail are characteristic 
of the Terns and will usually separate them without difficulty. All Canadian species have 
a more or less forked tail and all but one (the Black Tern) in summer adult plumage have a 
sharply-defined black cap. The forking of the tails of young birds, though beginning to 
show early in their development, does not reach its maximum until after they leave for 
the winter; hence, through the summer and autumn, many individuals will be seen with 
much smaller forks than the above measurements indicate. 
Field Marks. The greater lightness of action on the wing and constant and rapid 
aerial evolution; the fact that Terns constantly dive from the wing, and the habit of com- 
monly turning the bill straight down towards the water instead of carrying it on a line with 
the body, are characteristic. The forked tails and black caps are also good recognition 
marks for adults. 
Nesting. Whereas Gulls seem to prefer rocky shores upon which to breed, the Terns, 
except Forster’s and the Black, favour sandy beaches, laying their eggs in a smooth circle 
of pebbles without other nest preparation. 
Distribution. As a subfamily, Terns are more southerly in distribution than Gulls, 
though at least one species, the Arctic Tern, has been found as far north as land occurs. 
All our species migrate, none remaining in eastern Canada during the winter. 
One has only to watch a flock of Terns feeding to recognize the appro- 
priateness of the popular term Sea Swallow. Their active grace and 
dainty, pearl-like colours are a joy to the nature lover. Terns are, on the 
whole, less marine in their habits than Gulls and are not so often seen far 
from land. They haunt harbours, shores, and beaches, and live largely 
upon small fish caught near the surface by quick, sudden dives from the 
wing, but they are not scavengers. In these dives the birds plunge in 
Figure 100 
Specific details of Sabine’s Gull; scale, 1. 
