Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!deimos!harris.cis.ksu.edu!hansen
From: hansen@harris.cis.ksu.edu (Steven C. Hansen)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Forster's and Common Terns
Keywords: Differentiation, abundance
Message-ID: <401@deimos.cis.ksu.edu>
Date: 9 Dec 88 20:37:10 GMT
References: <114@arcturus.edsdrd.eds.com>
Sender: news@deimos.cis.ksu.edu
Reply-To: hansen@harris.cis.ksu.edu (Steven C. Hansen)
Organization: Kansas State University, Dept of Computing & Information Sciences
Lines: 31

In article <114@arcturus.edsdrd.eds.com> gss@edsdrd.eds.com (Gary Schiltz) writes:
>I've been birding now for about ten years, and have yet to identify
>a Common Tern.  Most of my birding has been while I was a student at
>Kansas State University in Manhattan.  With several large reservoirs
>in the area, and the Cheyenne Bottoms wildlife refuge close by, I was
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>  1) How can one visually tell the difference between the two?  The
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>  2) Which tern would be more abundant around midwestern lakes (i.e. in
>     Kansas) and in the Great Lakes region, and in what seasons are each
>     more abundant?

Hello, Gary
     I'm still birding at K-State, but I have had some experiences with
both species since I am originally from central Minnesota which is between
the breeding areas of both species.  During the summer I have been able 
to see the difference in the shading on the wing and tail feathers that
you mention, however I'm not sure about winter plumage.  I have seen many
Common Terns along Lake Superior, according to maps you should have a
number there in Michigan during the summer.
     Birding is still good back here in Manhattan.  I've been birding with
Chris Smith on Sunday mornings, and we've seen a couple of Prairie Falcons
a number of Bald Eagles, Sharp-shinned Hawks, loads of Red-tails, a few
Rough-legged Hawks, and of course the usual passerines... including
many Harris Sparrows (for those of you not of the Great Plains).  I hope
birding is good for you out there.

Steve Hansen
hansen@harris.cis.ksu.edu