Rather stocky tern with a thick black bill. Breeding birds have an entirely black crown.
Breeding birds have an entirely black cap. Thick black bill is the key field mark.
Gull-billed Terns often nest in colonies with other tern species and Black Skimmers
Stocky tern with a thick black bill and black legs. Nonbreeding birds have a dark smudge behind the eye.
In flight note slightly forked tail and dark gray tips to outermost flight feathers.
Juveniles have a smudgy gray patch behind the eye and a thick bill that is often pale at the base.
Note notched tail in flight and dusky tips to the primaries.
Stocky with a thick black bill and black legs. The crown is entirely black.
Nonbreeding birds have an overall white-headed look with limited smudging around the eye. Heavy black bill is distinctive in all plumages.
Nests on saltmarsh islands as well as sandy barrier beaches. Catches a variety of prey, relying less on fish than other terns.
Generally in small groups, but nesting colonies can include 100+ adults.
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Gull-billed Terns are medium-sized terns with long, narrow, pointed wings. Compared to other terns, they have a thick bill, and a fairly short tail with a shallow fork.
Larger than a Common Tern, smaller than a Royal Tern.
between robin and crowGulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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