Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans), Tucson Lakeside Park, Pinal County

7 June 2009 brought a remarkable windfall of Elegant Terns to Arizona following a couple of days of strong southwesterly winds.  There are only six previous records of this species in Arizona.  However, on this date 5 individuals were reported from 3 different locations:  two in Patagonia, one in Benson and two in Tucson.  These photos document the very cooperative birds at Lakeside Park in Tucson. 

These two large terns were discovered by Roger Tess and Doug Munson and subsequently identified as Elegant Terns by Keith Kamper.  They were photographed by Pierre Deviche, Dave Stejskal and Tom Ryan. 

Elegant Tern is distiguished from Royal Tern by the long bill that droops and is usually orangish at the tip and by the long shaggy crest.  It differs from Caspian Tern in the long crest, thin bill and white undersides to the wingtips. 

07 June 2009, photos by Pierre Deviche

07 June 2009, photos by Dave Stejskal

07 June 2009, photo by Tom Ryan

All photos are copyrighted© by photographer

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