Common Tern

Combination of metal BTO-ring, colour rings and split colour rings (single colour ring with 2 colours one above the other).

note 1 : chicks are ringed on the tern rafts at Little Marlow Gravel Pits, Buckinghamshire, UK.

note 2 : Break down of ringed birds:

2002, LMGP Bucks, 16 ringed, Left: split dark green over yellow, Right: metal

2003, LMGP Bucks, 18 ringed, Left: split red over yellow, Right: metal

2004, LMGP Bucks, 16 ringed, Left: split light blue over yellow, Right: metal

2005, LMGP Bucks, 11 ringed, Left: split orange over yellow, Right: metal

2005, Willington, Beds, Left: Yellow, Right: metal

2005, Willington, Beds, Left: White, Right: metal

2006, LMGP Bucks, 15 ringed, Left: split black over yellow, Right: metal

2006, Willington, Beds, Left: split white over black, Right: metal

2007, LMGP Bucks, 12 ringed, Left: metal, Right: split dark green over yellow

2007 Willington, Beds, Left: split light blue over black, Right: metal

2008, LMGP Bucks, Left: metal, Right: split red over yellow

2008, Calvert Lakes, Beds, Left: metal, Right: split light blue over orange

2008, Wilstone/ College Lake, Left: metal, Right: split light blue over red

Yellow plastic-ring (on right tarsus) and metal ring (on left tarsus).

note 1 : all birds are ringed in Southern Poland, mostly the Upper Vistula River Valley

note 2 : during 2006 only chicks were ringed

Orange c-ring (on right tarsus) and metal ring (on left tarsus).

note 1 : all birds are ringed in Southern Poland, mostly the Upper Vistula River Valley.

note 2 : during 2005 only chicks were ringed.

White ring with a 3 alpha code (on left tarsus) (to be read from bottom to top) and metal ring (on right tarsus).

note 1 : NOT used letters are : B, D, G, I, O, U, Y.

note 2 : most of the adults were ringed in Delfzijl, the rest is ringed in Eemshaven or Groningen.

note 3 : starting letter is : A, C , E or L.

note 4 :

White ring with a 2 alpha-numeric code (on left tarsus) (to be read from bottom to top) and metal ring (on right tarsus).

note 1 : NOT used letters are : B, D, G, I, O, U, Y.

note 5 : most of the adults were ringed in Delfzijl, the rest is ringed in Eemshaven or Groningen.

White ring with a 2 alpha code (to be read from bottom to top) and metal ring.

note 1 : NOT used letters are : B, D, G, I, O, U, Y.

note 2 : most of the adults were ringed in Delfzijl, the rest is ringed in Eemshaven or Groningen.

Yellow ring with black 2 alpha-numeric code (letter followed by a number).

note 1 : birds are marked as pulls at the only colony in Northern Spain, located in the Bay of Santander (Cantabria).

note 2 : Codes used are A0, A1, A2....to Z9.

note 3 : 20-30 pullis could be ringed per year.

note 4 : by end-May some 11 pairs for 29 eggs were spotted.

Black ring with white 3 alpha-numeric code.

note 1 :

Dark blue ring with a white 2 alpha-numeric code (on tarsus) and metal ring on the opposite tarsus.

note 1 : a joint project of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest/INBO, Bureau Waardenburg and Ringgroup Delta on breeding and feeding ecology. This project will run for the next five years. Some 30 birds ringed in 2010.

note 2 : the colour-ring is added to aid identification of birds (formerly) carrying transmitters in the breeding colonies in the southwest of The Netherlands. Reports from further afield are more than welcome !

White ring with a black 3 alpha code : letter "I" and 2 letters (on the left tarsus) and metal ring (on the right tarsus).

note 1 :