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Elegant Tern
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Coast (very rare).
Diet: Fish.
Best time to spot: Pale orange bill; black shaggy cap.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.
How rare is it?
The Elegant Tern sits in our Legendary tier for the UK: a major rarity, where any record is big news. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Royal TernLegendary · Coast (very rare)
- Cabot's TernLegendary · Coast (extreme vagrant)
- Lesser Crested TernLegendary · Tern colonies (extreme vagrant)
- Sandwich TernUncommon · Coastal colonies (summer)
- Plain SwiftLegendary · Coast (very rare)
- Slender-billed GullLegendary · Coast (very rare)
Kit that helps
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