[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

This molting Black Tern in flight was photographed at Matagorda Beach, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor EDAF 300 f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: August 2003)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

This Black Tern was photographed foraging over a small pool at Audubon NWR, North Dakota. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: June 1991)

[Length 9.75 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

This Black Tern was photographed at Bolivar Peninsula, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens + Nikkor TC14E II 1.4x Teleconverter (EFL=630mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: May 9, 2006)

[Length 21 in. Wingspan 50 in.]

Caspian Terns occur in temperate regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In North America they breed locally on lakes in central and eastern Canada, the Great lakes region of the US and along both coasts of the US. This one was photographed along the Kennedy Causeway in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: November 1980)

[Length 21 in. Wingspan 50 in.]

This Caspian Tern in flight was photographed hunting over the Rio Grande River at a park near McAllen, Texas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: March 1980)

[Length 21 in. Wingspan 50 in.]

This Caspian Tern in flight was photographed along the beach at Corpus Christi, Texas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: November 1980)

[Length 21 in. Wingspan 50 in.]

This Caspian Tern was photographed at Port Aransas Birding Center, Port Aransas, TX. Photo taken with a Nikkor 180mm EDAF-D f2.8 lens (EFL=270mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: March 23, 2004)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

Common Terns are almost circumpolar in their distribution. In North America they breed throughout southern Canada and along the northern states of the US except British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This one was photographed as it hunted fish trapped in a tidal pool at Stone Harbor Point, New Jersey. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: July 1988)