Merlin
Browse all birds

Royal Tern

ID Info
Royal Tern by Etienne Artigau | Macaulay Library
Silhouette TernsTerns

Royal Tern

Thalasseus maximus
  • ORDER: Charadriiformes
  • FAMILY: Laridae
Basic Description

A large, orange-billed tern, the Royal Tern is found only along ocean beaches.

More ID Info
image of range map for Royal TernRange map provided by Birds of North AmericaExplore Maps
Other Names
  • Charrán Real (Spanish)
  • Sterne royale (French)
  • Cool Facts

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

Looking for ID Help?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds.

Try Merlin Bird ID

Species in This Family

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family:Laridae)

Black-legged KittiwakeBlack-legged Kittiwake
Ivory GullIvory Gull
Sabine's GullSabine's Gull
Bonaparte's GullBonaparte's Gull
Black-headed GullBlack-headed Gull
Little GullLittle Gull
Ross's GullRoss's Gull
Laughing GullLaughing Gull
Franklin's GullFranklin's Gull
Heermann's GullHeermann's Gull
Mew GullMew Gull
Ring-billed GullRing-billed Gull
Western GullWestern Gull
California GullCalifornia Gull
Herring GullHerring Gull
Iceland GullIceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed GullLesser Black-backed Gull
Glaucous-winged GullGlaucous-winged Gull
Glaucous GullGlaucous Gull
Great Black-backed GullGreat Black-backed Gull
Least TernLeast Tern
Gull-billed TernGull-billed Tern
Caspian TernCaspian Tern
Black TernBlack Tern
Roseate TernRoseate Tern
Common TernCommon Tern
Arctic TernArctic Tern
Forster's TernForster's Tern
Royal TernRoyal Tern
Sandwich TernSandwich Tern
Elegant TernElegant Tern
Black SkimmerBlack Skimmer

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read