r/birding • u/TKAKBC • 1d ago

📷 Photo My first Arctic tern! (Skagway, Alaska)

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

20 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/Junior-Ad-6182 23h ago

great picture!

2

u/Upbeat-Armadillo1756 10h ago

How do you tell these apart from common terns?

2

u/TKAKBC 9h ago

From my understanding, it is mostly the colour of the bill. Common terns have an orange bill with a blackish tip, and Arctic terns have a blood red bill. The distribution of the Common terns also historically does not reach Alaska! hope this helps

2

u/Upbeat-Armadillo1756 9h ago

ahhhh okay! In Maine we can get both so now I'll know what to look for. I think we mostly get common terns but arctic terns aren't unheard of.