Inca Tern vs Snowy-crowned Tern

Inca Tern

Larosterna inca

Medium219 gMarine

The Inca tern is roughly 39 to 42 cm (15 to 17 in) long and weighs between 180 to 210 g (6.3 to 7.4 oz). Its plumage is uniquely colored among terns; adults have a mostly dark, slate-gray body, with paler underwing coverts, and a slightly paler throat. A white stripe extends back from the base of the bill and fans out like a Salvador Dalíesque mustache as long, satiny feathers along the side of the neck. The trailing edge of the wing (the tips of the secondaries and the three inner primaries) are white. The tail is black, and moderately forked. Voice: The Inca tern is most vocal at its nesting colonies. Its calls include "raucous cackling notes" and "mewing"; the latter call has been likened to that of a kitten.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Cristóbal Alvarado Minic from Cagua, Venezuela · CC BY 2.0

Snowy-crowned Tern

Sterna trudeaui

Medium153 gWetland

The snowy-crowned tern is 28 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in) long with a wingspan of 76 to 78 cm (30 to 31 in) and weighs 146 to 160 g (5.1 to 5.6 oz). It has a rather blocky head, a thick neck, long wings, and a forked tail. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults in breeding plumage have a white head and neck with a black band through the eye. Their upperparts are pale gray with a whitish rump and uppertail coverts. Their underparts are grayish white. Their upperwing is pale gray with silvery primaries and the underwing is white. Voice: The snowy-crowned tern's call is "a series of rapid notes "je-je-je-je", or a short, grating "jeeer"."

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: gabi_otas · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Inca Tern and Snowy-crowned Tern.