Royal tern

The Royal Tern is a seabird in the tern family Sternidae. This bird has two distinctive subspecies.

The Royal tern is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

ROYAL TERN NESTING ATTEMPTS IN CALIFORNIA: SCHAFFNER, FRED C. Isolated or Significant Incidents? FRED C. SCHAFFNER, Department of Zoology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182 (present address: Department of Biology, University of Miami, P.O. Box 249118, Coral Gables, Florida 33124) Only four nesting attempts are known for the Royal Tern (Sterna max/ma) in California, all at the San Diego Bay salt evaporating ponds. More

The Royal Tern is similar in size to this species, but has a heavier build, broader wings, a paler back and a blunter, more orange bill. The Greater Crested often associates with the Lesser Crested Tern, but is 25% larger than the latter, with a proportionately longer bill, longer and heavier head, and bulkier body. Lesser Crested Tern has an orange-tinted bill, and in immature plumage it is much less variegated than Greater Crested. More

Royal Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments, like most Sterna terns. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic Tern. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display. This is a large tern, second only to Caspian Tern but is unlikely to be confused with that carrot-billed giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches. Royal Tern has a long yellow bill, pale grey upperparts and white underparts. More

The Royal Tern is a seabird with a total of two subspecies. Breeding grounds span across the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. One subspecies breeds on the coasts of western Africa. During winter months, the northern populations will migrate to Peru and Argentina. African populations will fly both north and south, and may fly as far as northern Spain. This species is occasionally seen in Western Europe. More

Royal Terns gather into large, tightly packed colonies on sandy beaches to breed. Their nests are sometimes washed away by storm waters, but the birds usually make a second nest often at a new location. This species has fewer young than other terns. It feeds almost entirely on small fish. Look For : A black-capped tern with gray wings and back; larger than the Common Tern and doesn't have black tip on orange-red bill. Length : 18-21". More

Royal TernThe royal tern is a large, slender tern. It is 18-20 inches in length with a wingspan of 49 to 52 inches. It has a long, sharp, orange-red bill; black legs and feet and a short, forked tail. It has a black cap with a shaggy black crest, a slate gray back and wings, and a white breast and belly. In non-breeding season it has a white forehead. Males and females look alike. More

Eventually a few Royal Terns flew in and landed. Even without illumination from the sun, their white feathers were bright and stood out from the dull pouring rain. Painting # 23, Royal Tern in Rain Posted by Kelly at 11:10 PM Labels: 100 Painting Challenge, Florida birds, Longboat Key, Royal Tern 25 comments: Betsy from Tennessee said... Beautiful Kelly-both the photos and the paintings.. More

● Foraging & Feeding: Royal Tern: Feeds on small fish and aquatic invertebrates, including crabs, squid, and shrimp. Plunge dives to capture prey; occasionally pirates fish from other birds, especially Brown Pelicans. ● Breeding & nesting: Royal Tern: One to four creamy buff to brown eggs with red brown markings are laid in a depression in sand or a cup of dead grass, usually built on a sandy or rocky island. Incubation ranges from 20 to 31 days and is carried out by both parents. More

A large, orange-billed tern, the Royal Tern is found only along ocean beaches. More

Royal Terns sometimes dive for fish fairly close to people swimming at the beach. Photo Matt Victoria A large tern with pointed wings, forked tail, and a heavy, orange bill. Most of the year, the forehead is white, and the back of the crested head is black. Watch for Royal Terns zipping along above the sea in front of the beach-front resorts or plunging into the sea for fish. More

Royal Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments, like most Sterna terns. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic Tern. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display. More

The Royal tern is second in size after the Caspian Tern (the world's largest tern). Royal Terns breed on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The slightly smaller subspecies Thalasseus maximus albididorsalis breeds in coastal west Africa. American birds winter south to Peru and Argentina, and African breeders move both north and south from the breeding colonies. African birds may reach as far north as Spain. More

Widely distributed worldwide, the Royal Tern is a coastal obligate, sometimes found some distance offshore but never very far inland except due to unusual situations such as hurricanes. A colonial nester, the Royal Tern is less aggressive then other terns, although it does defend the nest site itself. Royal Terns typically spend a couple of years on the wintering grounds after fledging, and do not breed until age three or four. More

Royal Terns breed along the coast of North Carolina and may be seen there year around. Royal Terns are rarely seen inland except after the passage of hurricanes. - Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) Marco Island, Collier Co., FL 31 Dec 2007 Note orange bill, shaggy black crest, and black legs on this large tern. In winter, forehead becomes whitish. More

Royal Tern is a large seabird with very characteristic carrot-shaped orange bill. Adult in breeding plumage has black crown and elongated feathers on the nape. On the upperparts, mantle and upperwing are very pale grey. Rump and tail are white. The stout bill is bright orange. Eyes are dark brown. Legs and feet are black. Adult in non-breeding plumage has white forehead. More

Royal Tern - Delaware River, Bucks County on July 12, 2008. Photos by Devich Farbotnik. This photo shows the orange bill, the white forehead, and the black line leading from the eye to the 'crest' at the back of the head. This bird represents the 2nd record for Bucks County and one of only several records for Pennsylvania. This photo shows the mostly light primaries in addition to the orange bill and the white forehead. More

Mating Royal Terns at Galveston Island Leave a Comment/Rating You must be logged in to leave comments. Click here to log in. Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) Mating Royal Terns at Galveston Island 387433.jpg More

The Royal Tern is a much bigger bird than the Elegant. It is actually closer in size to the Caspian. The difference in gross size is perhaps most easily seen in the birds' weights: 165 to 217 grams in the Elegant, 353 to 409 in the Royal, and 455 to 549 in the Caspian (figures from specimens in the San Diego Natural History Museum). Size, though, can be tricky to assess when the birds are in a single-species flock. More