Update: A third Elegant Tern from the same area is added at the bottom of the page.
These two Elegant Terns Thalasseus elegans were found by Greg Lasley and Martin Reid on North Padre Island, Kleberg county, Texas on July 18, 2017:
The two birds a few moments after their discovery:
CLICK HERE to see a short video of the two birds loafing.
CLICK HERE to see a second short video of one bird bathing.
The alternate-aspect bird:
The basic-aspect bird:
The following two images show how the apparent length and structure of the bill can change when the
head is held at slightly different angles:
Update: While looking for the above birds, David Sarkozi found an Elegant Tern the following day about two miles to the south. My examination of his photos of that bird shows that it is neither of the original two birds. On July 23 I relocated this third bird in roughly the same area that it was found. Note the extent of black below the eye - this is more evident in Sarkozi's photos of the bird:
