WEST AFRICAN CRESTED TERN Thalasseus albididorsalis

Recently split from it's American cousin Royal Tern, and found to be closer to Crested Tern. This means that a number of vagrants to the UK are now undetermined (not that there have been many). The only easily twitchable bird was determined as American, probably because a split was in the offing. I'm sure if I'd seen one in England I wouldn't worry too much. The easiest place to see this taxon is probably The Gambia, where large tern flocks gather on the coast and where I took these shots nearly forty years ago.

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