Inca Tern

Larosterna inca

Near Threatened:  Numbers decreasing.

Size: 15 and 16.5 inches in length

Habitat: Coastal areas on islands and rocky cliffs.

At the El Paso Zoo: Inside the Americas Aviary. 

Inca Terns are from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.  In the America’s Aviary at the Zoo they are very active and easy to see as they fly from perch to perch. In the wild they make their nests inside fissures, burrows, caves and cavities which are protected from predators and weather. Nests are placed in fissures, burrows, caves and cavities including the abandoned nests of Humboldt Penguins.   When searching for food they will dive in the water looking for small fish to eat. They are known to fly around South American sea lion colonies and land on the faces of sea lions in hopes of plucking pieces of fish from between their teeth. 

Photos
Top – Billtacular, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Second – Marcel Holyoak, Wikimedia Creative Commons
Bottom – Rick LoBello
Cover – Marcel Holyoak, Wikimedia Creative Commons