Royal Tern

Thalasseus maximus (Boddaert, 1783) QT ROYTE 6070
Family: Charadriiformes > Laridae

Royal Tern, Simon Gillings

The first record in Britain & Ireland of this large, yellow-billed tern was of a bird ringed as a nestling in North Carolina; it remains an extremely rare visitor.

Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Royal Tern

  • Breeding
  • Winter
154 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
154 records

BTO RECORDS

154 records observations recorded by BTO surveyors
154 records

BTO RECORDS

Identification

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Status and Trends

Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.

CONSERVATION STATUS

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

POPULATION SIZE

We have no population estimates for this scarce species.

DISTRIBUTION

This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Royal Tern breeding distribution 2008-11
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

Movement

Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

RINGING RECOVERIES

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information about Royal Tern, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING

Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.

BIOMETRICS

Sample sizes are too small to report Biometrics for this species.

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

CODES & CLASSIFICATION

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Welsh: Môr-wennol Fawr
Catalan: xatrac reial bec-roig
Czech: rybák královský
Danish: Kongeterne
Dutch: Koningsstern
Estonian: kuningtiir
Finnish: kuningastiira
French: Sterne royale
German: Königsseeschwalbe
Hungarian: királycsér
Icelandic: Rosaþerna
Irish: Geabhróg Rósach
Italian: Sterna reale
Latvian: karaliskais zirinš
Lithuanian: karališkoji žuvedra
Norwegian: Kongeterne
Polish: rybitwa królewska
Portuguese: trinta-réis-real / garajau-real
Slovak: rybár velký
Slovenian: kraljeva cigra
Spanish: Charrán real
Swedish: kungstärna

Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com

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