Adult ‘American Black Tern’ summering in Northumberland

Adult ‘American Black Tern’ summering in Northumberland

Abstract

An adult Black Tern Chlidonias niger, initially identified as a ‘European Black Tern’ C. n. niger, was present at a tern colony at Long Nanny, Northumberland, during the summers of 2020 and 2021. At the end of summer 2021, the bird was reidentified as an ‘American Black Tern’ C. n. surinamensis – the first record of a breeding-plumaged adult in Britain. The bird returned again in summer 2022. This paper discusses the bird’s occurrence, its identification and other records of American Black Terns in breeding plumage in Europe.

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