Birds
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 1.jpg

Elegant Tern

Elegant Tern

95
2 months ago
Not yet spotted on Fladder
Spotted
The Elegant Tern is a large, striking tern known for its slender, slightly upcurved orange bill and a prominent shaggy black crest. They are highly graceful flyers and breed in dense communal colonies.
Where to spot
Primarily found along the Pacific coasts of North and South America, particularly breeding in California and Mexico. They utilize coastal beaches, estuaries, and offshore islands.
How to spot
Look for its unmistakable bright orange, slightly curved bill and shaggy black crest. Observe them plunge-diving for fish or resting in large, noisy groups on sandy beaches or mudflats.
When to spot
The best time to observe them is during their breeding season from March to August along the Californian and Mexican coasts. Some southern populations may be present year-round.
sierlijke sterns aan de waterkant
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 1.jpg
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 2.jpg
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 3.jpg
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 4.jpg
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 5.jpg
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 6.jpg
sierlijke sterns aan de waterkant
Credits: Door velodrome - https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/192069914, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=123133674
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 1.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 2.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 3.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 4.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 5.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
File:2022-04-16 Thalasseus elegans, Upper Newport Bay, California 6.jpg
Credits: Wikimedia Commons
Elegant Terns are highly colonial nesters, forming some of the largest tern colonies in the world, with tens of thousands of pairs nesting together on a single island.
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Spotted

Recently spotted
420 (Seen in the last 3 months)
Last spotted
2 months ago

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