Royal Tern (Sterna maxima)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Color Photograph: © by and courtesy of Robert Benson

Royal Tern (Sterna maxima)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 18 to 20 inches.

Adult Summer Plumage: Upper half of head black with a long tuft of hair-like feathers hanging over the back of the neck. Bill yellow-orange, thick. Lower half of face white. Breast and undersides white. Wings gray. Tail weakly forked.

Adult Winter Plumage: Similar to the summer plumage, but head all white with a scraggly tuft of dark gray feathers from the back of the head.

Immature: Similar to the adult winter plumage.

Similar Species:  The Royal Tern is similar in appearance to the Caspian Tern. The Caspian Tern has a bright red bill and is a slightly larger species (19-23 inches in length). The tails of the Arctic Tern, Common Tern, and Roseate Tern are all more deeply forked.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Royal Tern is resident along the Atlantic Coast from Maryland to Florida and westward along the Gulf Coast to southeastern Texas. It occurs along the southern California Coast as well. The species is also known from West Africa.

Overwintering Range:  See above.

Habitat: The Royal Tern is found along sandy beaches.

Food: Small fish.

Behavior:  This species nests in large and closely packed colonies on beaches. The voice is a raucous kee-rare.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of a single brown-spotted tan egg. The egg is laid in a depression in the sand.