Sterna maxima
Royal Tern
Sterna maxima: Taxonomy | Photographs
- Kingdom: Metazoa ((=Animalia) multicellular animals)
- Phylum: Chordata (chordates)
- Class: Aves (birds)
- Order: Charadriiformes (gulls and shore birds)
- Family: Laridae (gulls, terns)
- Genus: Sterna
- Species: Sterna maxima
- Common Names: Royal Tern
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Sterna maxima - The birds in the foreground are Royal Terns. The solid black caps on some of the terns extending from the bill to the back of the head is typical for early summer, though throughout most of the year, their foreheads are white. The birds in the background are Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger).
Venice, FL
March 23, 2002
Photo contributed by Pat Lamond
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