Gull-billed Tern Photo Gallery
Breeding adult
Rather stocky tern with a thick black bill. Breeding birds have an entirely black crown.
© Jesse Amesbury | Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 06, 2017Breeding adult
Breeding birds have an entirely black cap. Thick black bill is the key field mark.
© Carlos Bocos | Macaulay LibraryCastilla-La Mancha, June 13, 2016Breeding adult and juvenile with Black Skimmer
Gull-billed Terns often form mixed-species flocks while loafing on coastlines.
© Benjamin Clock | Macaulay LibraryLouisiana, July 11, 2010Not all videos have soundNonbreeding adult
Stocky tern with a thick black bill and black legs. Nonbreeding birds have a dark smudge behind the eye.
© Ian Davies | Macaulay LibrarySouthern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples, January 10, 2015Juvenile
Juveniles have a smudgy gray patch behind the eye and a thick bill that is often pale at the base.
© Vincent Wang | Macaulay LibraryHebei, August 22, 2020Breeding adult
Note notched tail and flight and dusky tips to the primaries.
© Steve Kolbe | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 26, 2015Breeding adult
Stocky with a thick black bill and black legs. The crown is entirely black.
© Terence Alexander | Macaulay LibraryQueensland, April 16, 2019Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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