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Elegant Tern

Elegant Tern line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Elegant Tern full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Elegant Tern was completed on 2/13/2011. Walking around Lake Merritt in Oakland, I often see terns, and their skill at plucking food of the surface of the water is fascinating to watch. Flying and diving seems so effortless on their part. There was no problem in which pose this shorebird should be draw - in flight! This drawing is based on a photo by Patty Bruno.

Information about the Elegant Tern:

The Elegant Tern is a seabird belonging to the family Sternidae. It is a medium-sized bird, with a distinctive shaggy crest and a bright orange bill that points somewhat downwards. They grown to a length of about 15.4–16.5 inches (39–42 cm) with wingspan of 42 inches (107 cm). They are a common slight along the Pacific Coastline from British Columbia all the way down to nearly the tip of South America. The Elegant Tern feeds on fish, which it catches by dive bombing the water from above. It will fly over water with the beak pointing down, then dramatically plunge into water to catch its prey. Nearly of all Elegant Terns nest in one colony on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, Mexico.