La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Least Tern in East Sussex: new to Britain and the Western Palearctic
Auteurs :	Barry Yates, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	British Birds (103(6) JUN 2010)
Article en page(s) :	339-347
Résumé :	A Little Tern Sternula albifrons with a distinctive 'squeaky' voice was discovered in the tern colony at Rye Harbour, East Sussex, in June 1983. It returned annually until 1992. Although it was dismissed initially as an odd Little Tern, comparison of sound recordings of the call with those of the North American form S. (albifrons) antillarum, together with the noticeably greyer rump and central tail feathers, led to the eventual realisation that it was one of the New World races of Little Tern, known as 'Least Tern'. Research into the calls of all races of Little Tern eliminated other possibilities and it was eventually accepted as an individual of the North American antillarum/athalassos/browni group. Although its distinctive advertising call drew attention to the bird in flight, when silent it was not separable from the many Little Terns present. It was seen to display and present fish to Little Terns, suggesting that it was a male, but there is no evidence that breeding took place.

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