Fork-tailed Gull

A small gull with a spectacular wing pattern. Generally a prized sighting for birders, because it nests on tundra of the high Arctic and migrates south at sea, often well offshore. A young Sabine's that goes astray in fall may cause excitement by showing up on a pond far inland. Delicate in its feeding, this species often floats in the air low over the water, dipping down to take food from the surface without landing. Its flight action may suggest a tern more than a gull.