| A short-legged 'mystery tern' among 33 Common Terns (S. hirundo) at Columbus Bay, Trinidad, 23 June 2002. Photos � by Floyd Hayes. Found by Floyd Hayes, Nigel Hacking, Nigel Lallsingh and Keisha Lallsingh, this bird was momentarily thought to be Trinidad and Tobago's first Arctic Tern (S. paradisaea), which is shorter-legged than Common Tern, but closer inspection revealed no differences in bill size, plumage or wing-tail proportions; furthermore, something was wrong with the legs...well, the last photo clinches its identity. If you are stumped (hint), click here for further comments. |
