Gull-billed Tern Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesGull-billed Tern
Breeding adult
Rather stocky, medium-sized tern with long wings and a thick black bill. Breeding bird has an entirely black crown.
© Jesse Amesbury / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 06, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Stocky tern with a thick black bill and black legs. Nonbreeding adult has a dark smudge behind the eye.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibrarySouthern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples, January 10, 2015Breeding adult
Breeding adult has a full black cap, thick black bill, and long black legs. At rest, the long wingtips extend well beyond the tip of the short tail.
© Anne Ruben / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, June 28, 2022Breeding adult
In flight note slightly forked tail and dark gray tips to outermost flight feathers.
© Lorenzo Cocco / Macaulay LibrarySardegna, June 21, 2020Juvenile
Juvenile has a smudgy gray patch behind the eye and a thick bill that is often pale at the base.
© Vincent Wang / Macaulay LibraryHebei, August 22, 2020Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adult has an overall white-headed look with limited smudging around the eye. Heavy black bill is distinctive in all plumages.
© Marco Valentini / Macaulay LibraryWestern, July 04, 2016Breeding adult
Note notched tail in flight and dusky tips to the primaries.
© Steve Kolbe / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, April 26, 2015Breeding adult
Nests on saltmarsh islands as well as sandy barrier beaches. Catches a variety of prey, relying less on fish than other terns.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, May 29, 2017Similar SpeciesSandwich Tern
Breeding adult
Sandwich Terns have a longer and thinner bill than Gull-billed Terns. Their crest is often shaggier than Gull-billed Terns.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryTexas, April 18, 2011Similar SpeciesSandwich Tern
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Sandwich Terns have a more extensive rear crown patch than nonbreeding Gull-billed Terns, which have only a smudgy patch behind the eye.
© Steve Collins / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, December 11, 2008Similar SpeciesSandwich Tern
Juvenile
Juvenile Sandwich Terns have larger black crown patches than juvenile Gull-billed Terns and darker mottling on the back.
© Andrew Haffenden / Macaulay LibraryAlabama, August 02, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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