Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans (Gambel, 1849) (0, 5)
Photo © Phil Woollen - Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey, 8 July 2021
STATUS
Coastal south-west USA and north-west Mexico. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
A paper by Dufour et al. (2017) confirmed that three ‘orange-billed terns’ trapped in western Europe were Elegant Terns and so the acceptance of British sightings began. Prior to this it was thought to be a Pacific Ocean breeder only, and the reason why the records here were pended.
The thinner slightly down-curved paler orange/yellow bill and more shaggy crest are subtle pointers to identification from other ‘yellow-billed’ terns.
BBRC RECORDS
1.0). 2002 Devon Dawlish Warren NNR, 3CY+ male, 18th May, photo.
(P. Marshall, Birding World 15 (5): 209-211, photos; Birding World 16 (7): 294, plate 23; Devon Bird Report 2002: photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 630; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584; BOURC (2018), Ibis 160: 936; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 586).
2.0). 2002 Norfolk Happisburgh, 3CY+, 20th June, photo; also in Devon.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
3.0). 2002 Devon Cockwood and Dawlish Warren NNR, 3CY+, 8th July, photo; also in Meirionnydd; presumed same, Dawlish Warren NNR, then Cockwood and later Torbay, 3CY+, 18th to 19th July, photo; also in Meirionnydd.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
2.1). 2002 Devon Dawlish Warren NNR, 3CY+, male, 8th July, photo; same as Norfolk.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 586).
3.1). 2002 Meirionnydd Black Rock Sands, Porthmadog, 3CY+, 23rd to 26th July, photo; same as Devon.
(Birding World 16 (7): 294, plates 24 & 25; British Birds 95: plate 279; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 630; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
3.2). 2002 Cornwall Porthkidney Sands, St Ives Bay, 3CY+, 28th July; presumed same as Devon; also in Meirionnyd.
(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 101: 577, not proven; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 586).
4). 2005 Dorset Stanpit Marsh, Christchurch Harbour, 3CY+, 10th May, photo.
(L. Chappell, Birding World 18 (5): 211-213, plates 1-6; Dorset Bird Report 2005: photo; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 108: 629; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
1.1). 2017 Hampshire Hayling Island, 18CY+ male, ringed, 7th to 9th June, photo; presumed same as 2002 Devon.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
1.2). 2017 Sussex Pagham Harbour, 18C+ male, ringed, 10th to 20th June, photo; presumed same as 2002 Devon; also in Dorset, Hampshire.
(British Birds 110: plate 273; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584).
1.3). 2017 Dorset Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour, 18CY+ male, ringed, 21st to 22nd June, photo; presumed same as 2002 Devon.
(C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 584; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 112: 586).
5.0). 2021 Anglesey Cemlyn Bay, 3CY, 4th to 30th July, photo; also in Lancashire & North Merseyside, Cumbria.
(British Birds 114: plate 313; C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 575).
5.1). 2021 Lancashire & North Merseyside Formby Point, 3CY, 1st to 16th August, photo; same, Knott End-on-Sea, 3CY, 20th August to 1st September; photo; presumed same as Anglesey; also in Cumbria.
(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 575).
5.2). 2021 Cumbria Hodbarrow RSPB, 3CY, 27th August, photo; presumed same as Anglesey; also in Lancashire & North Merseyside.
(C. Holt, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 115: 575).
P). 2023 Dorset Lodmoor, 24th April.
(birding information services).
