Elegant Tern

Overview

The elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) is a medium-large tern classified under the family Laridae. It is currently listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, with a total population estimated at around 90,000 pairs.

Identification

• Medium-large tern measuring 39–42 cm in length with a 76–81 cm wingspan and a weight of 190–325 g.
• Features pale gray upperparts, white underparts, and black legs.
• Possesses a long, slender, slightly downcurved orange bill.
• Distinguishing markings include a black crest that creates a small "smudge" in front of the eye, and a white forehead from late summer to winter.
• Produces a characteristic loud grating call similar to other Thalasseus terns.

Habitat

Breeds on the Pacific coasts of southern California and western Mexico, and migrates south to Peru, Ecuador, and Chile for the northern winter. Dense colonies are established on coasts and islands such as Isla Rasa, Montague Island, and the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. Vagrants occasionally disperse north to Oregon and Washington, or to inland freshwater lakes, and rare records exist in western Europe and Africa.

Diet

Feeds by plunge-diving for fish, almost invariably from the sea. Unlike the Arctic tern, it usually dives directly rather than using a "stepped-hover" approach. The male offers fish to the female as part of the courtship display.

Did you know?

The species is surprisingly non-aggressive toward predators, relying instead on the sheer density of its nests, which are often placed only 20–30 cm apart. In 2021, a drone crash near a nesting colony in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve caused thousands of birds to abandon their nests, resulting in a catastrophic loss.