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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 412 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Cabot's Tern
Thalasseus acuflavidus
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
📅 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 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Tern sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 412 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Royal Tern in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
February has the highest sighting rate for Royal Tern in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.