June 2022 - 27

Caspian terns
The Caspian tern is the largest tern in North
America, measuring about 21 inches long.
This tern is easily identified by its large size,
blood-red bill with a dark tip and a black cap
that extends below the eye and terminates at
the back of the head.
Caspian terns and most other terns
feed almost exclusively on fish which they
secure by plunge diving. They fly 20 to
30 feet above shallow water with their bill
pointing down until a fish is spotted. They
hover for a few seconds and dive straight
down, sometimes completely submerging
themselves. They capture a fish on roughly
40 percent of their dives.
Although they are not common nesters in
Wyoming, there are a few colonies scattered
across the state at Pathfinder Reservoir in
Natrona County, Bamforth Lake in Albany
County and Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone
National Park.
" As a semi-arid state, Wyoming only
has a few ideal locations for these colonial
nesters, so conserving these sites is extremely
important, " Orabona said.
All of these colonies are on islands where
they mix with other colony nesters such as
gulls, pelicans, night-herons and other terns.
The nest of this tern is a depression in the
sand close to water and lined with a little plant
matter, just large enough for two or three
eggs. Caspian terns are found worldwide in
all continents except Antarctica.
Forster's and common terns
These two species have a lot of similarities.
Both have an orange-red beak with a dark tip
and orange legs. Although their coloring is
similar, the Forster's tern has white underparts
that contrast with gray wings and back. The
common tern has gray underparts that blend
with its gray wings and back, although these
differences can be difficult to spot.
The Forster's is the most commonly
seen tern in Wyoming, making appearances
during the summer breeding season. Typically
between 13 and 14 inches long, Forster's terns
nest in several locations in the state. Their
preferred nesting habitat is marshes with open
water and emergent vegetation, especially
bulrush. They nest on floating, dead plant
matter, muskrat houses and islands with sand
or gravel base and some sparse vegetation.
Forster's terns are the most commonly-seen terns in the Cowboy State. (Photo by Francis Bergquist)
" As a semi-arid state, Wyoming only has a few
ideal locations for these colonial nesters, so
conserving these sites is extremely important. "
- Andrea Orabona
Despite its name, the common tern is not common in Wyoming. The best time to spot them in the state is during the fall
migration. (Photo by Francis Bergquist)
Wyoming Wildlife | 27

June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2022

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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
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