Greater Crested Tern

The great crested tern is a large tern with an extensive range. During the breeding season, the adult has a distinctive black cap with a long crest, white neck and underparts, and a grey back and upperwing. In contrast, the non-breeding adult has a white crown with limited dark spotting, but its hind-crown remains black. The large bill is greenish-yellow to yellow, and the legs are black. The juveniles primarily differ from the adults in having heavily mottled or barred brown upperparts.