Arctic Tern
Oahe Dam Tailwaters
May 12, 2005

Arctic Tern on left, Forester's Tern center and two Common Terns right center.

Note the red bill with no black, short legs, gray belly, no white above the gape of the bill, and uniform gray primaries of the Arctic Tern.
Forester's Tern has long legs, orange bill with black tip, white belly, light primaries and white above gape of bill.
Common Tern has dark primaries, reddish bill with black tip, gray belly, and intermediate amount of white above gape.
Arctic Tern's bill is smaller and thinner than that of the Common or Forester's Tern.

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