Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Thalasseus elegans (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously placed in the genus Sterna.
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2018 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2016 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2012 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2010 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2008 | Near Threatened | D2 |
| 2006 | Near Threatened | |
| 2004 | Near Threatened | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Near Threatened | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type |
continent |
Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 240,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 11,400,000 km2 | medium |
| Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident) | 1,300 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | medium | estimated | 2002 |
| Population trend | stable | poor | suspected | 1983-2010 |
| Generation length | 9.75 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The estimated population is 51,000-90,000 individuals (Kushlan et al. 2002) with up to 95% breeding on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California (Velarde and Anderson 1994). At least three other Mexican islands are used at least occasionally (Velarde and Anderson 1994). In addition, small populations breed on Bolsa Chica (50-4,000 pairs, first recorded in 1987), in San Diego bay (500-800 pairs) and in Los Angeles Harbour (Velarde and Anderson 1994, Gochfeld and Burger 1996, E. Verlarde in litt. 1998, B. Tershy and B. Keitt in litt. 1999, Rankin 2016).
Trend justification: The population is suspected to undergo dramatic fluctuations in response to El Niño Southern Oscillation events and subsequent fluctuations in fish populations (Velarde and Anderson 1994, B. Tershy and B. Keitt in litt. 1999).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Chile | extant | native | yes | |||
| Colombia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Costa Rica | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Ecuador | extant | native | yes | |||
| El Salvador | extant | native | yes | |||
| Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Guatemala | extant | uncertain | yes | |||
| Honduras | extant | uncertain | ||||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mexico | extant | native | yes | |||
| Nicaragua | extant | native | yes | |||
| Panama | extant | native | yes | |||
| Peru | extant | native | ||||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| USA | extant | native | yes |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | passage |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 100 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Unknown | Past Impact | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Climate change & severe weather | Temperature extremes | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Majority (50-90%) | Causing/Could cause fluctuations | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Negligible declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Named species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Past, Unlikely to Return | Majority (50-90%) | Rapid Declines | Past Impact | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/elegant-tern-thalasseus-elegans on 22/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/12/2024.