Royal Terns

Thalasseus maximus

Royal Terns are large terns with long yellow to orange bills, black legs, very light gray backs, white underparts, short forked tails and in breeding plumage they have jet black crests.

Royal Terns Courting in Florida

By |2021-04-21T06:05:50-06:00April 25th, 2017|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Royal Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The "Circling" courtship behavior of Royal Terns was one that I found interesting because as the male circled the female she moved too and kept her sides facing him.

An Aerial Food Fight – Gulls and a Tern

By |2017-04-25T05:17:24-06:00May 4th, 2014|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This image was taken on a breezy April morning in 2009 at Fort De Soto County Park's north beach when I saw an aerial food fight occurring over the Gulf of Mexico.

The answer to the Gull and Tern Quiz is…

By |2016-12-07T12:12:15-07:00January 28th, 2013|Categories: Bird ID, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Gulls, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Royal Terns|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The majority of you voted for the correct answer: Juvenile Herring Gull, 1st winter Laughing Gull and Royal Tern

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