Sterna elegans
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | AVES | CHARADRIIFORMES | LARIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Sterna elegans | |||
| Species Authority: | Gambel, 1849 | |||
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Near Threatened ver 3.1 | |||||||||
| Year Published: | 2010 | |||||||||
| Assessor/s: | BirdLife International | |||||||||
| Reviewer/s: | Calvert, R., Butchart, S., Bird, J. | |||||||||
| Contributor/s: | Verlarde, E., Keitt, B., Tershy, B. | |||||||||
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Justification: This species is considered Near Threatened as it has a restricted breeding range, with more than 90% of the breeding population being restricted to a single island. It is also subject to large population fluctuations in response to climatic effects, and could be negatively affected by climate change, human intrusions and overfishing. |
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| History: |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | Sterna elegans breeds along the Pacific coast from south California, USA, to Baja California and the Gulf of California, Mexico2,4. The estimated population is 51,000-90,000 individuals9 with up to 95% breeding on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California7. At least three other Mexican islands are used at least occasionally7. In addition, small populations breed on Bolsa Chica (50-4,000 pairs, first recorded in 1987) and in San Diego bay (500-800 pairs), California3,5,6,8. Non-breeding birds summer from California to Costa Rica2. Birds winter from Guatemala to El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile2. There are significant population fluctuations, probably caused by the effects of El Niño Southern Oscillation (compounded by over-fishing) on prey abundance and consequently breeding success6,8. Only the Isla Rasa colony breeds every year6, but fluctuations are considerably less than one order of magnitude. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Chile; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; United States
Vagrant:
Belgium; Denmark; Falkland Islands (Malvinas); France; Ireland; United States Minor Outlying Islands
Present - origin uncertain:
Guatemala; Honduras
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | Kushlan et al. (2002). |
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | This species breeds on flat rocky areas and is strongly tied to the coast. It forages in inshore waters, estuarine habitats, salt ponds and lagoons, with some individuals venturing further offshore in the non-breeding season. |
| Systems: | Terrestrial; Marine |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | Population fluctuations may be related to El Niño Southern Oscillation events, but food supply may also be influenced by over-fishing. Nest robbery formerly reduced colony size on Isla Rasa, but this site now recieves adequate protection. |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: |
Conservation Actions Underway Conservation Actions Proposed Monitor population trends throughout the breeding range. Research links between climate, fisheries, prey availability and breeding success. Ensure continued effective protection of all breeding colonies. |
Bibliography [top]
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Anderson, D. W. 1976. The Gulf of California, Mexico. Canadian Field-Naturalist 90: 270-271. AOU. 1998. Check-list of North American birds. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. Gochfeld, M.; Burger, J. 1996. Sternidae (Terns). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (ed.), Handbook of the birds of the world, pp. 624-667. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Howell, S. N. G.; Webb, S. 1995. A guide to the birds of Mexico and northern Central America. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Kushlan, J. A.; Steinkamp, M. J.; Parsons, K. C.; Capp, J.; Cruz, M. A.; Coulter, M.; Davidson, I.; Dickson, L.; Edelson, N.; Ellio, R.; Erwin, M.; Hatch, S.; Kress, S.; Milko, R.; Miller, S.; Mills, K.;…authors continued in notes. 2002. Waterbird conservation for the Americas. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service National Publications Clearinghouse, Shepherdstown, U.S.A. Sowls, A. L.; DeGange, A. R.; Nelson, J. W.; Lester, G. S. 1980. Catalogue of California seabird colonies. US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Velarde, E.; Anderson, D. W. 1994. Conservation and management of seabird islands in the Gulf of California: setbacks and successes. In: Nettleship, D.N.; Burger, J.; Gochfeld, M. (ed.), Seabirds on islands: threats, case studies and action plans, pp. 229-243. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK. |
| Citation: | BirdLife International 2010. Sterna elegans. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2012. |
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