ML145717841
Sandwich x Elegant Tern (hybrid) Thalasseus sandvicensis x elegans
Contributor
Roger Schoedl Media from this contributor
Date
Location
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
Orange, California, United States
Media from this location Illustrated Checklist- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
Oblique view of the bill.
Observation details
Picking through the flock of Elegant Terns sitting on the sand bar in front of the lookout over the tidal basin I noticed one bird with a darker bill. I studied it at length through my scope. It was identical to the Elegants in all respects except for bill color. The base of the bill was notably black, the center a mix of yellow and black, and the tip yellow. The yellow color of the bill lacked any orange hues. The extent of the black around the base of the bill and yellow tone of the rest of the bill suggests Sandwich Tern parentage. Last year on 3/18/18 I photographed rather poorly a tern with a similar mix of black and yellow in the bill. I suspect this is the same bird returning again this year.
Technical information
- Model
- E-510
- ISO
- 200
- Focal length
- 420 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/8.0
- Shutter speed
- 1/640 sec
- Dimensions
- 1350 pixels x 1012 pixels
- Original file size
- 443.1 KB