ML618289766

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

among one of the huge groups of Royal and Sandwich Terns. Immediately struck me as this species due to its intermediate size between nearby Royal and Sandwich Terns, slender and slightly drooping bill (but still thicker than those of the nearby Sandwich Terns, see first photo) and thick, shaggy crest with a clean white forehead. A good degree of nuance separates this species from Cayenne Sandwich Tern, however, and I watched it for as long as I could before the group got flushed by a low-flying helicopter. I think the subtle but still noticeably larger size than the nearby Sandwich Terns should rule out Cayenne alone, but also feel the thickness and shagginess of the crest, especially pronounced on the back side (creating a “mullet” appearance) and the thicker bill than Sandwich Terns effectively confirm this as Elegant. The only ID point that I believe may favor Cayenne Sandwich is the dullness of the yellow-orange color on the bill, but believe that can be fairly easily explained by the fact that this individual has not yet molted into breeding plumage. Still open to other opinions though, if folks feel strongly otherwise. The bird is chaseable, but with the sheer volume of terns to sift through in combination with this location only accessible via watercraft or extremely long walk from Johnson Beach’s easternmost parking area, would likely be a foolhardy endeavor. For context, I work in the park and visit this area by UTV. Didn’t bring my camera, but my best digi-bin photos are attached.

Technical information

Dimensions

1170 pixels x 1519 pixels

Original file size

357.46 KB