Snowy-crowned Tern vs South American Tern

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

South American Tern

Sterna hirundinacea

Medium188 gMarine

With adult South American terns reaching a length of 40 to 44 centimetres (16 to 17 in), they are larger than either common terns (Sterna hirundo) or Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea). Otherwise they closely resemble these species in plumage at all times of year. The beak is larger and is red in adults, and they do not have a dark-coloured bar on the carpus of the wing. The black cap extends below the eye, usually separated from it by a white crescent, and the rear edge of the cap is neatly defined.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Chris Pearson from Leuchars, Scotland · CC BY 2.0

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