Tern Elegant (Thalasseus elegans) vagrant – Cape West South Africa

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Tern Elegant (Thalasseus elegans) vagrant – Cape West South Africa

The Elegant Tern breeds on the Pacific coasts of the southern United States and Mexico and winters south to Peru, Ecuador and Chile.  Thus a great surprise to find this vagrant in Cape Town.  According to Ian Sinclair and Prof. Peter Ryan in 2013 a ringed Elegant Tern was captured near Walvis Bay the following DNA analysis the Elegant Tern they suspect it to be a hybrid.

  • Species:Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)
  • Bird Type:Adult
  • FamilyGulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae)
  • Date Taken20170326
  • Location:Strandfontein Sewerage Worksn
  • Area:Cape Town
  • Country:South Africa
  • Region:All Africa South of Sahara
Photo File Ref: BOA75004a Tern Elegant V 3 Strandfontein Sewerage Works Cape Town RSA Mar17 PH2_8877
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