the royal tern is a seabird in the family laridae, endemic to the americas (with occasional vagrants appearing in europe). they are a large tern - the second largest in the americas, behind the larger caspian tern. adult royal terns have a broad wingspan of 130 cm (51 in). these terns have a forked tail, silver-gray upperparts, a white underside, and a bright orange-red bill. they have a black crown, which forms a small crest during the breeding season. during their ‘downtime’, they can be spotted resting on sand flats, often intermingling with various gulls and seabirds. royal terns don’t typically stray far from water, and are often found feeding in secluded bodies of water such as mangroves and estuaries. they primarily feed in bodies of saltwater, though they may occasionally feed in freshwater. while they typically hunt alone, or sometimes in pairs or groups of three, they have been known to form larger groups to pursue schools of fish. their diet primarily consists of smaller fish such as anchovies and weakfish, though they may diversify to a variety of other prey, including insect, shrimp, crabs, and even hatchling sea turtles. royal terns nest on beaches, preferring more isolated beaches with fewer dwelling predators when possible. terns do not build nests, choosing to lay their small clutch of only 1-2 eggs either in a shallow scrape or directly on the ground. after hatching, the chicks remain at their ‘nest’ site for only a week, after which chicks are gathered into a large group known as a crèche. in large colonies, a crèche can contain thousands of chicks, who roam freely within the colony. although other terns may watch over and tend to various offspring, parents recognize their babies’ calls and are still primarily responsible for caring for their young. at one month of age, royal tern chicks fledge, or begin to fly, though they are still dependent on their parents until 5-8 months of age. they do not fully mature until 4 years of age, at which point they will begin breeding. royal terns are considered least concern by the iucn as of 2026, as they have maintained large population sizes and have relatively few threats.
images sourced from the Macaulay Library
