Sighting Record for Utah

Common name:	Arctic Tern
Scientific name:	Sterna paradisaea
Date:	7/10/22
Time:	9:29am
Length of time observed:	20 minutes all together.
Number:	1 individual
Age:	Adult
Sex:	Unknown
Location:	Bird Island
County:	Utah
Latilong:	40.1780300, -111.8007431
Elevation:	4491 ft
Distance to bird:	Hard to estimate, was on a boat. Probably 400 feet.
Optical equipment:	Nikon monarch m5 8x42 binoculars and Nikon D500 camera with 200-500mm lens
Weather:	Clear skies
Light Conditions:	Optimal
Description: Size of bird:	Dwarfed by nearby Caspians, see photos for size
(Description:) Basic Shape:	Tern shape
(Description:) Overall Pattern:	White body, darker back, black cap, red bill, red feet
(Description:) Bill Type:	Tern
(Description:) Field Marks and Identifying Characteristics:	I ll add my own initial comments, comments from other birders, and my final thoughts. My initial comments: Details Tentative ID with this bird. Small dainty gull, tiny stubby red legs, small rounded head, all red bill, and long tail. Original and cropped photos. I watched this bird for roughly 20 minutes all together and didn t see any black on bill tip. One photo shows a hint of black, but could be a camera trick. Comments from birders on North American Tern Facebook Group: Tail extends past the wings, short red legs and looks like an all red bill. Looks good for Arctic Tern to me but I d wait and see what others think.. Immediate gut call is Arctic, with those stubby legs, longer wings (in comparison to body/Common Terns), and that blood red bill~ Trenton Voytko I have opportunities to look at hundreds of Arctic and Common Terns side-by-side all summer, with a large mixed colony located not far from my home. While I cannot see every identification feature as clearly as I would like (for example, I don t think the tail-length relative to the TWO wing-tips can be determined in these photos) I believe the bird can be confidently identified as an Arctic Tern it looks perfect! More comments from Utah Rare Bird Alert Facebook Group: Particularly tiny size, small and very rounded head, tiny all-red bill, and super short legs all point to Arctic Tern My final thoughts are that I m fairly confident in this bird being an Arctic Tern. The field notes are well presented and feedback from others is all pointing towards Arctic. (see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery:
Behavior:	Resting on shore. And then seen in flight.
Habitat:	Middle of Utah lake on small rocky island with minimal foliage.
Similar species and how were they eliminated:	Common Tern eliminated by all blood red bill and tiny stubby legs. Also note the tail was longer than expected for Common. Dark cap approaches the gape, more than Common. Same elimination notes go toward Foresters as well, no orange in bill at all. Super small rounded head is good for Arctic as well.
Previous experience with this & similar species:	Only previous experience with Common and Foresters. This bird immediately stood out to me, first by the legs.
References consulted:	North American Terns Facebook Group, Utah Rare Bird Alert Facebook Group, Jeff Cooper, Kendall Watkins, and multiple field guides and websites.
Description from:	Notes taken at the time of the sighting From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer:	Taylor Gallagher
Observer's address:	15 N Loafer Canyon Rd
Observer's e-mail address:	**
Other observers who independently identified this bird:
Date prepared:	7/12/22
Additional material:	Photos
Additional comments:	I have photos of this bird. I didn t see a file upload on this form. I can provide photos.