Inca Tern

Description:

Very outgoing and curious by nature. Terns pick mates based on length of "mustache" feathers, which are indicators of genetic health. Breed in crevices and abandoned burrows of Humboldt penguins. Usually lay two eggs and and incubation lasts about 2 weeks, done by both parents. Chicks fledge in 7 weeks.

Habitat:

Found on the coasts of Peru and Chile. Restricted to the Humboldt current.

Notes:

These Inca Terns were found in the Punta San Juan reserve, which is a reserve to protect the guano birds and Humboldt Penguins. I volunteered for 2 weeks to monitor the guano harvest.