ID Quiz - May 9, 2020

It's a Common Tern!

The two other likely white tern options at the location are Forster's and Caspian. Caspian can be ruled out by the long tail and relatively thin bill. Separating Forster's and Common Terns can be tricky, but is made easier by the close look, which can be hard to get at an inland lake. Note the darker red bill (vs brighter orange), darker outer wing (vs light) and the dark outer vanes on the tail (vs white), which help identify it as a Common Tern.

For comparison, here's a Forster's Tern from a similar angle:

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