Photo: Dick Daniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Royal Tern

Thalasseus maximus

Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Ecuador Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of Ireland Birds of Mexico Birds of Peru Birds of the United States Birds of New Brunswick

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Canada Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Colombia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Costa Rica Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ecuador Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ireland Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Mexico Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Peru Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New Brunswick

See what's near you right now

The Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a member of the Laridae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 415 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Genus Thalasseus
Species maximus

Where it lives

Coastal western North Atlantic from Virginia to Florida, Gulf of Mexico to southern Texas, Campeche Bank (northeastern Mexico), off northern Honduras, through West Indies and off northern Venezuela to French Guiana; southern California, northern Gulf of California to Sinaloa and Is. Tres Marias (off west-central Mexico) and disjunctly coastal southern Brazil, Uruguay and east-central Argentina

Quick facts

Weight: 415 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Not Evaluated

West African Crested Tern

Thalasseus albididorsalis

Least Concern

Greater Crested Tern

Thalasseus bergii

Least Concern

Black Skimmer

Rynchops niger

Critically Endangered

Chinese Crested Tern

Thalasseus bernsteini

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Royal Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Royal Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a species of gulls, terns, skimmers in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Central America & Caribbean, South America — coastal w North Atlantic from Virginia to Florida, Gulf of Mexico to s Texas, Campeche Bank (ne Mexico), off n Honduras, through West Indies and off n Venezuela to French Guiana; s California, n Gulf of California to Sinaloa and Is. Tres Marias (off wc Mexico) and disjunctly coastal s Brazil, Uruguay and ec Argentina.

Songs & calls

Royal Tern — Call

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Royal Tern?

The Royal Tern is a large bird that weighs around 415 g.

Where does the Royal Tern live?

The Royal Tern is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA coastal w North Atlantic from Virginia to Florida, Gulf of Mexico to s Texas, Campeche Bank (ne Mexico), off n Honduras, through West Indies and off n Venezuela to French Guiana; s California, n Gulf of California to Sinaloa and Is. Tres Marias (off wc Mexico) and disjunctly coastal s Brazil, Uruguay and ec Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Royal Tern belong to?

The Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Royal Tern eat?

The Royal Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Royal Tern migrate?

The Royal Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Royal Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Royal Tern make?

1 real field recording of the Royal Tern — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Royal Tern's range?

The Royal Tern has a mapped global range of about 3.3 million km².