Elegant tern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elegant tern |
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| Fishing at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thalasseus
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| Species: |
elegans
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| Synonyms | |
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Sterna elegans Gambel, 1849 |
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The elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) is a beautiful seabird. It belongs to the tern family, which is part of the larger gull family. These birds live along the Pacific coasts. They breed in the southern United States and Mexico. When winter comes, they fly south to warmer places like Peru, Ecuador, and Chile.
Elegant terns build their nests in very crowded groups. They choose coasts and islands, like Isla Rasa and Montague Island (Mexico). Sometimes, they even nest inland near large freshwater lakes. They make a simple nest on the ground and lay one or two eggs. Unlike some smaller terns, they don't fight much with predators. Instead, they rely on having many nests close together. Nests are often only 20 to 30 centimeters apart! They also nest near other birds, like Heermann's gulls, which are more aggressive. This helps keep their eggs safe.
These terns are skilled hunters. They eat fish by diving headfirst into the water. This is called "plunge-diving." They almost always hunt in the sea. During courtship, the male tern will offer a fish to the female. This is part of their special dance to find a mate.
Sometimes, an elegant tern might fly far from its usual home. These rare visitors are called "vagrants." Elegant terns have been seen in western Europe many times. They have even nested in Spain. Some have also bred with Sandwich terns in France. One elegant tern was spotted in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2006. This was the first time one had been seen in Africa! Another was recorded in the British Isles in June 2017.
What Does "Elegant Tern" Mean?
The name Thalasseus comes from an old Greek word, Thalassa, which means "sea." The word elegans is Latin for "elegant" or "fine." So, its name means "elegant sea bird." Scientists decided to give terns a new group name in 2005. This was after they studied how different terns are related.
How to Spot an Elegant Tern
The elegant tern is a medium-sized bird. It has a long, thin orange beak. Its upper parts are light gray, and its belly is white. Its legs are black. In winter, the feathers on its forehead turn white. Young elegant terns have a scaly, pale gray back. Their call is a loud, harsh sound, much like a Sandwich tern's call.
You might confuse this bird with the royal tern or Forster's tern. However, the royal tern is bigger and has a thicker beak. It also has more white on its forehead in winter. If you are far from its usual home, it can also look like a lesser crested tern.
The elegant tern is a bit paler on top than the lesser crested tern. It has a white rump, not gray. Its beak is slightly longer and thinner, with a different curve. The black feathers on its head, called a crest, go past its eye. This makes a small black smudge in front of the eye. On a Royal Tern, the black crest stops at the eye. The lesser crested tern has a less shaggy crest.
Measurements:
- Length: About 39 to 42 centimeters (15.3 to 16.5 inches)
- Weight: About 190 to 325 grams (6.7 to 11.5 ounces)
- Wingspan: About 76 to 81 centimeters (30 to 32 inches)
See also
In Spanish: Charrán elegante para niños
