Royal Tern
Sterna maxima
Royal Tern Sterna maxima
Found only along ocean beaches, the Royal Tern favors shallow, warm coastal waters.Nesting in colonies on low lying sandy islands, the pair defecates directly on the nest rim, hardening the edge to reinforce the nest against flooding. It is generally present year round in its breeding range.Feeding mainly on fish, it hovers over its prey plunging into the water for the catch. It also will skim the water with its bill.Vulnerable to losses of nesting sites the Royal Tern has made a substantial comeback from the commercial egg harvesting of the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s.Copyright Mark Tiefenbach
Deepbrook Nature Photography
Copyright Mark Tiefenbach
Deepbrook Nature Photography
