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Inca Tern

Larosterna inca

Photo by triggsturner
Published on Project Noah
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-12.1214, -77.0461

Field Notes

Description:

Probably one of the most striking and beautiful seabirds on the planet. This unique tern is unmistakable. Its body is a dark slate grey, wings have dark tips, a fine white wing bar and the trailing edge to the wing is also white. Bill and feet are bright dark red with a bright yellow gape and the characteristic flowing white mustaches.

Habitat:

This spotting made at one of the piers in the Miraflores area of Lima city in Peru. The birds were coming to rest and preen under the jetty.

Notes:

Found only in the Humboldt Current, these birds are listed as near threatened globally. Numbers appear to be reducing rapidly. They are the only members of the genus Larosterna.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (25)
triggsturner
Thank you BlueOriole for the comment. I am so sorry I missed it at the time.
triggsturner
Thank you so much Larry for your comment. I appreciate it very much. My aim is to make each spotting as special as possible from the most everyday critter to the rarest I have been lucky enough to find. They are all special to me and PN is a place where all of us can appreciate and learn about our living planet through each other's work. Enjoy. Rob.
triggsturner
Thank you Christine and Rach for your comments and support of this spotting.
LarryGraziano
spectacular collection you have here triggsturner.
remkinloch
Congratulations on SOTW. What an amazing looking bird, clearly has no idea of its threatened status!
triggsturner
Thank you Leuba, Sergio, Mark and Kostas for you comment and support of this spotting.
triggsturner
Thank you PN rangers for the honour of SOTW. For me, seeing this species so well was an incredible moment. I am very happy to share it with you guys.
DanielePralong
Congratulations Robert, your beautiful Inca Tern series as been voted Spotting of the Week: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603/10159343738190603/?type=3&theater Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/907364519290265603
Leuba Ridgway
Handsome bird - love the upside-down Dali moustache !
SukanyaDatta
So stately. So dignified....loved the mustache.
KarenSaxton
I got the impression that the staff at the restaurant loved them as much as we did. They were closed when we were there(break between lunch and dinner) and the staff would come out for a break, or to dump a bit of leftover seafood over the side and watch them the whole time
triggsturner
Great story Karen. I was told about this place by a couple if guys I met on the trail in Manu. There is a restaurant at the end of this pier and I got a window table. Just outside the window there is a rail. Two birds sat on it not 10 feet away albeit on the other side of the glass while I eat my corn soup. Just an amazing experience. That particular bucket list item well and truly ticked!
KarenSaxton
They were my #1 for that trip. Our tour group was in Lima before heading to Machu Picchu and our tour guide was an archeologist and not a biologist. I had looked these guys up and knew the pier was the most likely place to find them. One a walk through the city, we realized the pier wasn't that far out of our walking sphere(we could see it from the Mall) and we declined one of the bus tours the group went on to walk down. It was wonderful and we weren't the only ones taking pictures of these wonderful birds(and literally laughing with delight). Needless to say, a few of our fellow tourists wished they'd walked with us. The guide had told us there was no place other than the island to see them. He was shocked when we showed him the photos
triggsturner
Glad it bought you some memories Karen. These birds were on my bucket list for years and although I had seen them at a distance before, this spotting was a bit of a dream come true for me.
KarenSaxton
You just brought back some memories!! I recognized the place at once. https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1968926002 https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1966216002 https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/2003986002 https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/2006856002

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WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
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2017 Best Wildlife Photo

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Photographed
PublishedSeptember 8, 2017

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