Bill Hubick Photography - Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)

Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)

Elegant Terns on San Francisco Bay, a preferred target of jaegers (9/24/2010). Photo by Bill Hubick.

Above and below: Elegant Terns on San Francisco Bay, a preferred target of jaegers (9/24/2010).

Elegant Terns on San Francisco Bay, a preferred target of jaegers (9/24/2010). Photo by Bill Hubick.

Below: The highlight of a fishing (and, of course, birding) trip on San Francisco Bay was an unexpected number of jaegers and their harassment of the abundant Elegant Terns. For anyone new to jaegers, this group of birds specializes in kleptoparasitism, stealing other seabirds' meals. I often tell people that jaegers are where gull meets hawk. Skuas would be where gull meets eagle.

The highlight of a fishing (and, of course, birding) trip on San Francisco Bay was an unexpected number of jaegers and their harassment of the abundant Elegant Terns. For anyone new to jaegers, this group of birds specializes in kleptoparasitism, stealing other seabirds' meals. I often tell people that jaegers are where gull meets hawk. Skuas would be where gull meets eagle. Photo by Bill Hubick.

Below: A very pink Elegant Tern on the beach at Malibu Lagoon, California (9/30/2011).

A very pink Elegant Tern on the beach at Malibu Lagoon, California (9/30/2011). Photo by Bill Hubick.

Below: An Elegant Tern in flight at Bolsa Chica, California (10/6/2011).

An Elegant Tern in flight at Bolsa Chica, California (10/6/2011). Photo by Bill Hubick.

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