Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusThalasseus (Crested Terns)
- SpeciesThalasseus maximus (Royal Tern)
The royal tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a tern in the family Laridae. The species is endemic to the Americas, though vagrants have been identified in Europe. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Tern sighting in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, based on 832 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park
Cabot's Tern
Thalasseus acuflavidus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Royal Tern in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?
About 27% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Tern sighting in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park, based on 832 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Royal Tern in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Royal Tern in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park in our monthly data.