The Elegant Tern 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nests in colonies. Egg: Single, 

 deposited on bare sand, highly variable as to ground-color, pale olive-buff, tilleul buff, 

 or ivory-yellow to vinaceous buff and pinkish buff, spotted sparingly with black or 

 sepia self-tones. Av. size 53.5 x 38 (2.10 x 1.50). 



General Range. — Pacific Coast of the Americas, breeding (at least) on islands in 

 the Gulf of California, and occurring south to Peru. Wandering north (at close of 

 breeding season only?) to San Francisco Bay. 



Occurrence in California. — "Rather uncommon and probably irregular fall 

 visitant northward along the sea coast as far as San Francisco Bay. Definite stations 

 and dates of occurrence: Pacific Beach (near San Diego), Sept. 21; vicinity of Morro 

 [coast of San Luis Obispo County], Sept. 22-Oct. 4; Monterey Bay, Sept. 22-October 

 29; San Francisco Bay (date not recorded)" — Grinnell, 1919. 



Authorities. — Cooper (Thalasseus elegans), Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. iv., 

 1868, p. 10 (San Francisco Bay) ; Loomis, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, Zool., vol. ii., 

 1900, p. 319 (Monterey); Grinnell, Condor, vol. xxi., 1919, p. 230 (Morro, San Luis 

 Obispo Co., desc. ; history of species in Calif.). 



WITHOUT doubt the Elegant Tern is the Pacific analogue of the 

 larger maximus, which has only recently invaded the ancient preserves 

 of elegans. Elegance is only a smaller edition of Royalty, slimmer, 

 trimmer, more graceful, and very much rarer along our coasts. It would 

 be a rash authority who would publish "records" of this species based 

 on observation alone, yet I feel fairly confident that we have seen it 

 several times at Santa Barbara. 



Dr. Joseph Grinnell, who with his associates, Messrs. White and 

 Dixon, had a rare opportunity to study this species and to take specimens 

 at Morro Bay, in San Luis Obispo County, concludes that there is no 

 positive mark of field identification for the Elegant Tern, except its 

 relative size when seen in company with Royals, or the lesser breeds, 

 such as Forsters. The Elegants weigh almost exactly twice as much as 

 the Forsters, but only half as much as the Royals, with whom they are 

 most frequently associated. 



The Elegant Tern breeds in large colonies, which establish them- 

 selves upon low-lying islands in the Gulf of California or off the lower 

 coast of western Mexico. Single eggs, highly variegated, are rarely 

 beautiful in markings, and are dropped upon the bare sand. Home is 

 thus a mere contact with the ground, and the whole colony is likely to be 

 devastated repeatedly by tropical storms before it is finally successful 

 in its efforts to reproduce its kind. 



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