Royal Tern

Additional Bird Information Gulls Shorebirds Types of Birds

The large size, black legs and orange bill of the Royal Tern (maxima) provide for fairly easy species identification in its East Coast and Gulf Coast habitat.

A small Southern California coastal population also exists, and some identification confusion arises in those areas where its range overlaps with the smaller, and similar looking Elegant Tern.

Royal Terns breed along coastal areas, and on the East Coast, a summer breeding population can be found as far north as New England.

In addition to their North American presence, a separate population of Royal Terns also live along the eastern coast of Africa, migrating to coastal areas of Southern Europe during breeding season.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels