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| Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae) | |
| Kongeterne Charrán Real | |
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In general the literature says that adult birds don't acquire full alternate plumage until march-april. This is not the case with birds on the Pacific coast around Colima. Here I see a large percentage of birds with a full dark crown already in January-February.
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311
(1 photos)
2007-10-13 Boca del Cielo, Chiapas (Chp), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Different ages. Dark subterminal band on secondaries indicate 2cy bird. Here with Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger). |
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312
(1 photos)
2007-10-13 Boca del Cielo, Chiapas (Chp), Mexico Subspecies: maximus 1800 I counted in all. |
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856
(2 photos)
2009-04-09 Presa Rodriguez, Aguascalientes (Agu), Mexico Subspecies: maximus 2cy bird. First observation for Aguascalientes. After some days with strong wind. From east or west coast? |
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313
(1 photos)
2009-04-26 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Adult in alternate plumage. Here with Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis). |
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314
(1 photos)
2009-04-26 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Probably 2cy bird still in basic plumage. |
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675
(1 photos)
2012-05-12 El Tortugario - Estero Palo Verde, Cuyutlán, Colima (Col), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Young bird with dark band on secondaries as well as incomplete cap. Very common along the coast. |
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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. |
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850
(1 photos)
2013-01-30 Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico Subspecies: maximus 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. |
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851
(1 photos)
2013-01-30 Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico Subspecies: maximus 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. |
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1243
(1 photos)
2013-11-13 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Young bird with dark markings on the flight feathers. Yucatán 2013. |
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2159
(1 photos)
2016-01-10 Laguna de Ilusiones, Villahermosa, Tabasco (Tab), Mexico Subspecies: maximus Basic plumage. Not sure of age. |
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2271
(1 photos)
2016-02-28 Lo de Marcos, Nayarit (Nay), Mexico Subspecies: maximus 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. |
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3366
(1 photos)
2020-01-04 Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Sin), Mexico Subspecies: [maximus] Classic profile from below. I would like it to be a young bird with the dark tail expecting this is not a shadow effect caused from being folded. |
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3367
(7 photos)
2020-01-04 Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Sin), Mexico Subspecies: [maximus] 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. |