Royal Terns

Even very gregarious species sometimes need social distancing. Royal terns (Thalasseus maximus) regularly form tight-knit flocks and are typically only territorial around the immediate site of their nest. These two on the beach at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, however, are exhibiting signs of aggression: raised black head crest, outstretched wings, and ruffled back feathers. We don't know why these two were showing their heightened behavior or how their disagreement was resolved. Ruffled feathers or not they are a handsome pair.

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