Common Tern

 

Hudson River, Manhatton, New York
June 18, 2011
Sony Cybershot W-70


I thought this was may have been a Gull-billed Tern but the eBird reviewer said it was a Common Tern and his comments follow:

I think your bird is actually a Common Tern in basic (winter) plumage.
It lacks the chunky, large headed look I associate with Gull-billed and more importantly has a partial cap.
Non-breeding Gull-billed Terns develop a predominantly white head with just an elongated spot behind the eye.
The black feathering disappears uniformly across the crown, not just from the front first.

Coast Guard Staion, Jones Beach, Long Island, New York
September 5, 2011
Sony Cybershot DSC-HX200V