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Systematic list - part 10: Gulls, Terns and Skimmers

 

Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla (formerly Larus atricilla) (428)

Easily the commonest larid with many birds seen anywhere along the coast (but none far inland).

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Laughing Gulls, Bush Key (left) and Garden Key (right), 21st April

 

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Laughing Gull, Flamingo, 18th April

 

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis (10)

4 Sanibel Causeway 16th, 2 Fort Myers Beach (Holiday Inn lagoons) 17th, 3 Everglades (Flamingo) 18th and 1 Everglades (Amphitheater) 24th.

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Ring-billed Gull, Flamingo, 18th April

 

American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus (4)

1 Fort Myers Beach 17th, 2 Dry Tortugas (Garden Key) 21st and 1 Keys (Long Key viaduct I think) 23rd.

Some authorities still (or again) treat this form as a race of Herring Gull Larus argentatus.

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American Herring Gull, Fort Myers Beach, 17th April

 

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American Herring Gull, off Bush Key, Dry Tortugas, 21st April

 

Brown Noddy Anous stolidus (100)

First seen from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas 20th and at least 100 around Dry Tortugas (breeding on Bush Key but up to at least 80 perched on the posts around Garden Key).

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Brown Noddies, Dry Tortugas, 20th April

 

Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscata (formerly Sterna fuscata) (530)

30 from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas 20th and up to 500 (guess) around Dry Tortugas (breeding on Bush Key but easily seen around and from Garden Key).

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Sooty Terns, around Bush Key, Dry Tortugas, 20th April

 

Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus (formerly Sterna anaethetus) (6)

6 from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas 20th.

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Bridled Terns, from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas, 20th April

 

Least Tern Sternula antillarum (formerly Sterna antillarum) (48)

Seen at 3 sites in the west (max. 10 Fort Myers Beach 17th; 1 Babcock-Webb 15th was the only inland record) and 6 sites in the Keys (max. 20 Key West 22nd).

Note that although most authorites have accepted the split for several years now, BOU still treat this as a race of Little Tern Sternula albifrons.

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Least Terns, Fort Myers Beach, 17th April

 

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Least Terns, Lake Edna, 19th April (left) and Babcock Webb, 15th April (right)

 

Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica (formerly Sterna nilotica ) (1)

1 Dog Beach 17th.

 

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia (formerly Sterna caspia) (5)

1 first-summer Everglades (Nine Mile Pond) 18th & 24th, 1 adult Everglades (off Flamingo) 18th, 3 adults Loxahatchee 26th.

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Caspian Tern, Nine Mile Pond, Everglades, 18th April

 

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Caspian Tern, Nine Mile Pond, Everglades, 24th April (left) and 18th April (right)

 

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii (12)

6 from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas 20th, 3 Dry Tortugas (Garden Key) 21st and 3 from MV Playmate between Dry Tortugas and Key West 23rd.

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Roseate Terns, from MV Playmate between Key West and Dry Tortugas, 20th April

 

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Cabot's and Roseate Terns, Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, 21st April

 

Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri (15)

8 first-summers Dog Beach 17th (only one seen well enough to confirm the ID, others presumed same), 3 first-years Everglades (Nine Mile Pond) 18th and 7 first-years at the same location on 24th.

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Forster's Terns, Nine Mile Pond, Everglades, 18th April

 

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Forster's Tern, Nine Mile Pond, Everglades, 24th April

 

Royal Tern Sterna maxima (or Thalasseus maximus) (202)

Mostly small numbers seen at several locations along the west and south coasts, including the Keys. The only large count was 170 Dog Beach 17th - apart from 15 Key West 22nd no other counts exceeded 4.

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Royal Tern, Fort Myers Beach, 17th April

 

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Royal Tern, Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, 21sr April

 

Cabot's Tern Sterna (sandvicensis) acuflavida (or Thalasseus sandvicensis) (69)

Singles Dog Beach 15th and 17th, otherwise only seen between Key West and Dry Tortugas where up to about 50 around Garden Key.

Although the BOU has already split Cabot's Tern from Sandwich Tern, AOU still treat this form as a race of Sandwich Tern (which it places in the genus Thalasseus).

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Cabot's Terns, Garden Key, Dry Tortugas, 21st April

 

Black Skimmer Rhynchops niger (307)

At least 6 Lovers Key State Park 15th, 21 Dog Beach 17th, 280 Everglades (off Flamingo) 18th with at least 20 there 24th.

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Black Skimmer, Lovers Key State Park, 15th April

 

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