Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
The Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a common skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 64 countries, weighing about 415 g. The royal tern is a tern in the family Laridae.
About the Royal Tern
The royal tern is a tern in the family Laridae. The species is endemic to the Americas, though vagrants have been identified in Europe.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a large tern, second only to the Caspian tern among terns in the Americas, but is unlikely to be confused with this "carrot-billed" giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches. Adults have an average wingspan of 130 cm (51 in) for both sexes, with a range from 125–135 cm (49–53 in). Its bill-to-tail length ranges from 45–50 cm (18–20 in) and the weight is anywhere from 350–500 g (12–18 oz). The Old World West African crested tern T. albididorsalis and greater crested tern T.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, France, United Kingdom, Chile, Australia, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Guernsey, Namibia, St. Pierre & Miquelon, Norway.
When to see it
The Royal Tern can be seen all year round, with peak activity in April. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Royal Tern?
- This is a large tern, second only to the Caspian tern among terns in the Americas, but is unlikely to be confused with this "carrot-billed" giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Royal Tern?
- The Royal Tern is a large sized bird weighing about 415 g.
- Where can you see a Royal Tern?
- The Royal Tern occurs in 64 countries, including the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Belize.
- What birds look similar to a Royal Tern?
- The Royal Tern is most easily confused with the Sandwich Tern, the Greater Crested Tern and the Elegant Tern.
Learn the Royal Tern for real
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