White-cheeked Tern ID guide

It's fair to say this is a long awaited, much promised, highly anticipated post. Since the dawn of the millennia DDL has promised a White-cheeked Tern ID masterclass. Some doubted, many ridiculed, they said it couldn't be done. Yet here it is!

Since episode 4 of this season, the calls for the BBRC to re-visit the Dungeness bird have become deafening. Now, with the new skills acquired by simply reading this blog, you can go out, find a White-cheeked Tern and become a legitimate UK birding legend in the process.

The ultimate White-cheeked Tern identification guide by our very own DDL. Take it away David...

Here is a simple guide to identify White-cheeked Terns. The main confusion species is Common Tern which can be eliminated in breeding plumage very quickly. Winter plumage birds and juveniles are not as clear and like other tricky tern species, they are easier in flight (if seen well)

Early in the breeding season the White-cheeked Tern is at the darkest plumage with black bill and very dusky underparts. This is at a distance more confussable with Bridled Tern but looking at the forehead the Bridles show a white patch whilst the WCT don't. Only 2nd calendar year birds show white on the forehead but they are much paler and therefore not confusable with a Bridled Tern. Check out the slower and stiffer wing beats of a Bridled Tern. Important features for WCT in full summer plumage are smokey grey underparts, try-coloured under wing (dusky, white and then dark grey on the trailing edge) and grey rump

Here you can see how dark they look on an overcast day and the 2nd calendar year bird (the white one near the Slender-billed Gull) stands out very well

The wings of the WCT are uniform to begin with and have longer streamers and a uniformly grey rump

Later on their bellies become patchy and the dark bill reduces exposing a red base

Juveniles are variable but still show a grey rump and more uniform wings and more contrasting coverts

Here you can see the more rufous types and that the rump is grey

Perched look at the all dark bill and legs plus the bolder stronger coverts pattern and saddle

Inflight the darker birds look more like a Black Tern but lack the shoulder patch and have a the dusky underwings secondaries and outer ends to the primaries

In winter plumage the rump is the best feature and the dusky secondaries

Perched they are smaller than a Common Tern and longer billed but this can be difficult to judge

The variation in juveniles from pale to more rufous to the scaly darker backed birds

In winter go for the rump and ducky trailing edge to the underwing, broadest on the secondaries