Gull-billed Tern

Hurricane Dorian Brings Ultra-Rare Birds

Gull-billed Tern 

The Gull-billed Tern (Gelohelidon nilotica) is an ultra-rare visitor to New Brunswick.  The recent bird was found at Maces Bay and has remained for a few days.  It is listed as 'accidental' in 'Birds of New Brunswick:  An Annotated List'.  In short, it appears here extremely rarely and only after severe storms.  Our recent avian visitor was blown here by hurricane Dorian.  It was caught in the hurricane and blown way off course and carried by the severe winds northward.  It must have been exhausted when it arrived.  One wonders how long it was suspended in the storm before it could get to land.  

 

The Gull-billed Tern has been seen here before.  The first recorded specimen came from Grand Manan in 1879.  Most other records came from the Grand Manan area but there also have been reports from Red Head Marsh in 1983 and Eel River Bar in 2003.   The normal breeding range of this species is the coastline of eastern and southern US.  In the winter it is found along the coasts of southern Florida, Texas, Mexico and Central America. 

Gull-billed Tern

Terns are members of the Laridae family along with gulls and skimmers.  Terns are generally smaller than gulls and have straight pointed bills and long narrow wings.  Most have a black cap in breeding plumage.  Most terns eat fish but the Gull-billed Tern in unique in that its diet is mainly insects and some prey from the water's surface like crabs.  It never plunges for prey like most terns.  Our visitor was swooping over a small field beside an inlet off the Bay of Fundy feeding heavily on grasshoppers and other insects.  It reminded me of a very large swallow, the way it swooped and turned abruptly as it caught its prey.  

The Gull-billed Tern is very light in colour.  Its plumage is a very light gray.  The wings are light underneath with some graying near the tips.  The legs are black and the black cap on this individual was turning light in the front aspect as it was showing winter plumage.  The outstanding field mark of this species is its stout black bill, hence its name.  The bird is 36cm/14 in. long and it has a wingspan of 90 cm/ 36 in.  Its white tail is notched and it showed this off well as it wheeled and turned near us.  The only other species we would have to differentiate it from is the Forster's Tern which is smaller, slenderer, and has more pointed wings and a deeply forked tail.

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Terns are colonial or solitary breeders.  They often nest on the periphery of the colonies of other species of terns.  They nest on the open ground and the nest is often hidden among the debris on the shore of coastal beaches or saltwater marshes.  One to four yellow or buff eggs spotted with dark brown are laid and both adults incubate the eggs.  

Gull-billed Tern Showing Tail Shape and Long Wings

The population numbers of Gull-billed Terns has declined along the Atlantic coast.  Historically the millinery trade in the 1800s took its toll on this species.  However, this species is in good population numbers globally.  It is also found in Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa.  From our point of view, the sighting of this rare species in New Brunswick is a noteworthy event and made many birders happy to watch it for the first time.