John Chan / California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) roosting on a mudflat, with a flock of Elegant terns (Thalasseus elegans) nearby, Southern California, USA May/2019

John Chan / Elegant terns (Thalasseus elegans) courting, Southern California, USA, March.

John Chan / Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) with a broken wing, attempting to take off, Southern California, USA, April.

John Chan / Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) attacking an Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) with a broken wing, Southern California, USA, April.

Marie Read / Royal terns (Sterna maxima) pair crossing bills during courtship behaviour, Fort DeSoto Park, Florida, USA

Duncan Usher / Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) flying with sand eel in beak, Texel, Holland

Claudio Contreras / Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus), El Requeson, Gulf of California, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, December.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Lesser crested tern {Thalasseus bengalensis} flock on beach, large gulls and waves in background, Socotra, Yemen

LYNN M. STONE / Royal terns {Thalasseus maximus} Florida, USA.

Tim Fitzharris / Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) couple courting, North America

Roger Powell / Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) flying off with a fish in its beak. Warkworth, Northumberland, England, UK, May.

John Chan / Elegant terns (Thalasseus elegans) courting in breeding colony, Southern California, USA, April.