Elegant tern
Thalasseus elegans
The elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) is a tern in the family Laridae.
About the Elegant tern
The elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) is a tern in the family Laridae. It breeds on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States and western Mexico, and migrates south to Peru, Ecuador and Chile for the northern winter; in the late summer and fall, some also disperse north to Oregon and more rarely Washington. This species breeds in very dense colonies on coasts and islands, including Isla Rasa and Montague Island in Mexico, as well as South Bay Salt Works (San Diego) and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in California. Exceptionally, vagrants can occur inland on suitable large freshwater lakes. The elegant tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, almost invariably from the sea, like most Thalasseus terns. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favored by th
Fun Facts About Elegant tern
- It breeds on the Pacific coast of southern California in the United States and western Mexico, and migrates south to Peru, Ecuador and Chile for the northern winter; in the late summer and fall, some also disperse north to Oregon and more rarely Washington.
- This species breeds in very dense colonies on coasts and islands, including Isla Rasa and Montague Island in Mexico, as well as South Bay Salt Works (San Diego) and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in California.
- This Pacific species has wandered to western Europe as a rare vagrant on a number of occasions.
- There is also one record from Cape Town, South Africa, in January 2006, the first record for Africa.
- The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
Conservation Status
The Elegant tern is classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. This species faces threats that could impact its population if conservation measures are not maintained.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Laridae |
| Genus | Thalasseus |
| Species | Thalasseus elegans |
Range & Habitat
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Other species in the Laridae family: