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. 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. bergii are the same size; vagrant royal terns in Europe need careful documentation to distinguish them from the West African crested tern, which has also been recorded in Europe. The royal tern can also be confused with the smaller elegant tern T. elegans; that has a longer but slenderer, slightly downcurved, bill, and a longer crest. The royal tern has a stout orange-red bill, pale silvery-gray upperparts, and white underparts. Its legs are black. The entire crown is black with a shaggy, erectable crest on the nape in the spring during courtship and the start of the breeding season. From early summer into late winter, the black becomes first patchy and then fully white on the forehead and upper crown, retaining black only on the nape. …

The royal tern is found on both coasts of the Americas. In the northeast, during the breeding season (April to July) it is primarily found from Texas to Virginia, with scattered breeding records as far north as Long Island, New York, and south to French Guiana, and on several Caribbean islands. It also breeds in the southeast from southeastern Brazil south to Chubut Province in Argentina. The wintering range in the east is from North Carolina south to Panama and the Guianas and throughout the Caribbean. The western population nests from California to Mexico and winters from California south to Peru. Argentinian breeders are resident or disperse into Brazil.

The royal tern typically feeds in small secluded bodies of water such as estuaries, mangroves, and lagoons. Also, but less frequently, the royal tern will hunt for fish in open water, typically within about 100 meters (110 yards) of the shore. The royal tern feeds in salt water and on very rare occasions in fresh water. When feeding they fly long distances from the colony to forage. The royal tern feeds by diving into the water from heights near 9 meters (30 feet). They usually feed alone or in groups of two or three but on occasion, they feed in large groups when hunting large schools of fish. The royal tern usually feeds on small fish such as anchovies, weakfish, and croakers. Fish are their main source of food but they also eat insects, shrimp, crabs, and hatchling sea turtles. The royal tern feeds on small crabs, such as young blue crabs that swim near the surface of the water. When feeding on small crabs the royal tern does not use its normal plunge-dive technique, but instead uses short shallow dives so that they are concealed from their prey. The royal tern also uses this technique when hunting flying fish.