Young bird with dark band on secondaries as well as incomplete cap. Very common along the coast.
2241 (1 photos) 2013-01-16 Puerto de Manzanillo, Colima (Col), Mexico
Adult in full alternate plumage! The literature says that adults normal don't molt the head until March and onward, with few exceptions. Like this bird. However it is my impression that many birds already from January and February along the Colima coast have acquired full alternate plumage.
850 (1 photos) 2013-01-30 Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico
2cy bird with catch. But many fishermen at the river mouth, and think this one was a bait rather than a catch by own efforts.
851 (1 photos) 2013-01-30 Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico
Adult and 2cy bird. Many adult birds in Colima acquire black crown by mid January contrary to what the literature states about birds normally gaining full black crown during February.
2271 (1 photos) 2016-02-28 Lo de Marcos, Nayarit (Nay), Mexico
Two birds in basic plumage. The two big ones looking toward the left. They stayed together as if a couple. Notice the size difference the two between, which is partly real, and partly because of the photo. The bird to the right, which is also smaller, reminds of an Elegant Tern with the long nape feathers, but with direct comparison with the two Elegant Terns in the photo it is obvious that it indeed is a Royal tern. Also Caspian Terns, Common Terns and Laughing Gulls.
Young bird with an extremely dark hand. Most if not all young birds develop a dark hand when the primaries get worn, but it is rarely I've seen one like this. 851 is similar.