A Pink-Legged Tern
Journal
Condor
Volume
12
Issue
2 (March-April)
Year
1910
Pages
79
Section
From Field and Study
Online Text
A Pink-Legged Tern
On December 6, while walking along the beach, near Santa Barbara, California, with Mr. Bradford Torrey, he called my attention to a peculiar looking tern just ahead of us. It was standing on the sand in company with several Royal Terns (Sterna maxima), but was at once distinguishable from them by its intensely pink legs, in markt contrast with the black legs of the Royal. A long examination at close range with our binoculars seemed also to show that it was a trifle smaller than the others, with if anything a rather more pronounced crest.
Our inference pointed to its identification as the Elegant Tern (Sterna elegans), but none of our books offered any clew as to the pink legs. Any information will be most sincerely appreciated.
