Image of Inca Terns

-- Inca terns are found along the Pacific coast of South America, from Isla Lobos de Tierra in Peru to Coquimbo in Chile. The Inca tern has a dark grey body, a red bill and legs, the tips of the wings are white. Typical is the white moustache-like ornamental plume below the eye, present both in males and females. Biologists have found a relationship between the quality of this ornament and the terns physical condition and reproductive performance. Inca terns are not very good swimmers, instead they will often float on the water. Their diet consists mainly of fish like the Peruvian anchovy, but they may also feed on lobsters. When they catch fish they hover over water at a height of about 15 meters, swoop down on their prey and emerge almost immediately.