Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Long-billed tern of the Pacific coast, from the U.S. to Chile. Pale gray above with shaggy black cap in breeding plumage; nonbreeding birds develop white forehead. Best field mark is the slender orange bill with a slight droop. Strictly coastal; commonly found on beaches and estuaries. Similar to Royal Tern but smaller and slimmer with a thinner bill. Harsh grating calls similar to other terns.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Thalasseus elegans
- Authority
- (Gambel, 1849)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Thalasseus
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- NA, MA : coastal e Pacific of sw California and Baja California and Gulf of California (nw Mexico)
- Non-breeding range
- to coastal e Pacific from n California to c Chile
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Kawall's Amazon
Amazona kawalli
Large, bright green parrot. Note the white at the base of the bill, red patches on the tail sides, and narrow pale terminal tail-band. Found in humid forest, usually near watercourses. Most often detected by its nasal rolling monosyllabic “crraow” flight call. The similar Mealy Parrot has a bisyllabic flight call, lacks white around the bill, and has red shoulders.
Grayish Eagle-Owl
Bubo cinerascens
A fairly large gray owl with small ear tufts. The eyes are dark brown. Found in a variety of woodland and savanna habitats, often around cliffs and other rocky areas. Frequently in pairs. Very similar to Spotted Eagle-Owl, but there is little range overlap, and Grayish is easily separated by its dark eyes. The call is a single short “hoooo.”
Striolated Bunting
Emberiza striolata
Lanky bunting with a gray head, chestnut-brown wings, and a sharp bicolored bill. Male has a intricately streaked face featuring three bright white stripes and dark streaks on the chest. Female has a ghost of the male’s pale stripes, lacking any dark stripes. African subspecies are a richer chestnut and darker-headed than Asian birds. Breeds in rocky scrub often in or near villages and farms. Territorial in the breeding season, but often forms flocks in the winter. Song is a quick series of rolling buzzes and sweet whistles. Call is a simple, sparrowlike chip.
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