Not sure of Id

[Sagar Vadodaria]

Shot @ lakshwadeep, this guy seemed to be desperate for some food and was flying around the beach for a while.

Nikon D90, 70-300mm @ 250mm
EC -0.7, F8, 1/2000, ISO 320

[Ragoo Rao]

Looks close to a Lesser Crested Tern.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Nice rare Image.I agree with Ragoo Bhai ,it also appears to me to be Lesser Crested Tern(Thalasseus benalensis).Natural colour of underparts partially lost while clicking or processing.Have you got any photograph showing the crown ? Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice eye contact. The image is overexposed, so the whites have lost details, you would have to increase the -ve EC. Some more space on top would be good. How big crop is this? If possible do post the original image. Thanks for sharing.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Posting at 9.30 P.M today:Please add:

'and the legs'.
If possible,SaktiWild

[Sagar Vadodaria]

Here is the original without crop. Also i reduced the EC to -1, which brings out some of the details on top of the eye.

Nice eye contact. The image is overexposed, so the whites have lost details, you would have to increase the -ve EC. Some more space on top would be good. How big crop is this? If possible do post the original image. Thanks for sharing.

[Sagar Vadodaria]

I think this might not exactly be Lesser Crested Tern, it doesnt have any crown as per the shot below.
Here is the link for other shots Wild - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43032305@N02/6325690706/in/set-72157628035532660)


Nice rare Image.I agree with Ragoo Bhai ,it also appears to me to be Lesser Crested Tern(Thalasseus benalensis).Natural colour of underparts partially lost while clicking or processing.Have you got any photograph showing the crown ? Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

I requested for another information-'Colour of the legs'.

It will help all of us in our attempt to identifying this Rare Photograph you have taken in Lakshadweep.SaktiWild

[Sagar Vadodaria]

Does this help? seems to me black color legs..
DSC_0272-2 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43032305@N02/6325684384/in/set-72157628035532660/) , this is the only picture i have which shows legs clearly..


I requested for another information-'Colour of the legs'.

It will help all of us in our attempt to identifying this Rare Photograph you have taken in Lakshadweep.SaktiWild

[Sagar Vadodaria]

Is it some kind of Tropic Bird?? White-tailed Tropicbird - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_Tropicbird)

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

After going through all your postings,particularly the last one,I am ending up with " ID:Scientific Name:Phaethon aethereus" called in various names:Grey-backed Tropicbird(Red-billed Tropicbird)etc. It is found in Lakshadweep, sometimes recorded in Western Coast also.
Many thanks, Sagar Bhai,for giving this task to us.Others may kindly give their views.
SaktiWild

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Earlier I was thinking that this is non-breeding Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis). The non-breeding has black legs as well with slight black in hind crown and nape. The black is not much visible here. However, from the third image posted in pane #7, it is clear that this is not a Lesser Crested Tern.

Instead this is Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) as correctly identified by Shri Shaktipadaji. I am quoting some information from Birds of South Asia by Pamela C. Rasmussen and John C. Anderton

Size: 48cm (w/o streamers)
Barred above (looking silvery at distance), with black outer primaries and primary coverts; heavier-billed and broader-winged than White-tailed. Adult has orange bill; juv. has yellow bill, fine barring above.

Sabyasachi