Royal Terns

A sleek seabird of warm saltwater coasts, the Royal Tern lives up to its regal name with a tangerine-colored bill and ragged, ink-black crest against crisp white plumage. Royal Terns fly gracefully and slowly along coastlines, diving for small fish, which they capture with a swift strike of their daggerlike bills. They are social birds, gathering between fishing expeditions on undisturbed beaches and nesting in dense, boisterous colonies. In late summer and fall, Royal Terns lose most of their black crest and sport a white forehead..

On a number of occasions during nesting season, I've had the opportunity to see very large flocks at the beach. They are a wonderful photo op because they look like they are posing for the camera. I've usually seen them standing in groups quite still during a very low tide . Then suddenly in a moment they all fly away together and land in another spot.

Royal terns are known for their unique nesting habits, including building nests on low-lying islands and reinforcing nest rims with their own waste. They are also highly social birds, gathering in large groups and engaging in various communal behaviors. Royal terns are relatively long-lived, with some individuals reaching over 30 years of age.