Peru: And a Tern

I still can’t believe it: I’ve actually seen that most extravagantly clad and most evocatively named of all sternids, the Inca Tern.

Alejandro and I found them roosting, flying, and feeding in goodly numbers on the precipitous cliffs south of Lima–true bird islands. This is a big, bulky tern, with surprisingly long and broad wings, almost skimmer-like sometimes in flight over the dark waters.

Not all of these striking creatures are fishing out to sea. At least one found the pickin’s easier inside a Lima fish market, where it scooped tiny fish bits from the counters while dodging the wrath of human competitors.

The bird would circle out over the parking lot, then sneak back in as soon as the fishmongers were otherwise occupied.

A pity the name Whiskered was already taken.