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, Zook, 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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