Just to complete the picture, as so far Victoria and Tasmania are the only states not to be mentioned as having had Asian Gull-billed Terns, there are at least two Victorian records. Myself and Peter Lansley saw three in breeding plumage near Carrum on one of Melbourne Water’s Eastern Treatment Plants external wetlands on 13 March 2005. At about that time, one was reported by members of the VWSG associating with a flock of Australian Gull-billed Terns on one of the big inlets near Wilson’s Promontory and I think others may have been reported from that site.
Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136
Danny Rogers has just sent me a copy of his paper on the subject (Emu 105: 145+). Checking the measurements it seems there is a good case for treating the Australian birds as affinis and not nilotica. Thanks Mike (and Danny) for reminding us of the Vic records. I was thoroughly preoccupied in 2005 and my memory is nowhere near as good as I would like. The pattern (1 record for NSW, 2 from Vic, one from SA, 2-3 from SEQ, a couple from NEQ) would suggest this bird is a vagrant in the east and south. I’m not alone in believing that is not the case at all. I guess the places it is overlooked the most are SW WA and the Gulf of Carpentaria.