Gull-billed Tern
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Coastal marsh (rare).
Diet: Insects, crabs.
Best time to spot: Thick black bill; hawks insects.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.
How rare is it?
The Gull-billed Tern sits in our Epic tier for the UK: a scarce visitor, recorded in small numbers in most years. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Aquatic WarblerEpic · Sedge marsh (rare passage)
- Baillon's CrakeEpic · Wet marsh
- Blyth's PipitEpic · Coastal scrub (very rare)
- Brown ShrikeEpic · Coastal scrub (very rare)
- Caspian StonechatEpic · Coastal scrub (very rare)
- Common Scoter (eastern)Epic · Coastal seas (very rare)
Kit that helps
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