Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Identification & Behavior: ~41.5 cm (16.3 in). The Elegant Tern is distinguished from the similar Royal Tern by a long, thin, pointier, and dropping red bill that ends in a yellow tip. The black on the head in basic plumage is broader than that of the Royal Tern. Some birds show a pink tinge on the breast and belly.
Status: The Elegant Tern is a common Boreal migrant along the coast of Peru. It apparently is more common in the northern half of Peru. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Ch.
Name in Spanish: Gaviotín Elegante.
Sub-species: Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans), Gambel 1849.
Meaning of Name: Thalasseus: Gr. Thalasseus, Thalassa= sea fisherman. elegans: L. ornate, classy, distinguished.
See more of the Family Laridae 
Distribution Map
Voice
VoiceReferences:
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- Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.