www.jesperbayjacobsen.com
Front page Birds (media) Other Photos Flora & Fauna (media) ebird taxonomy Mexican Species
Download Checklists My 5 Chickens Links About The Birding Program Observations
 
Bird photos, sounds and videos
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)    Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae)
Kongeterne    Charrán Real
Hide text
In general the literature says that adult birds don't acquire full alternate plumage until march-april. This is not the case with birds on the Pacific coast around Colima. Here I see a large percentage of birds with a full dark crown already in January-February.
Royal Tern 311    (1 photos)
2007-10-13   Boca del Cielo, Chiapas (Chp), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Different ages. Dark subterminal band on secondaries indicate 2cy bird. Here with Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger).


Royal Tern 312    (1 photos)
2007-10-13   Boca del Cielo, Chiapas (Chp), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
1800 I counted in all.


Royal Tern 856    (2 photos)
2009-04-09   Presa Rodriguez, Aguascalientes (Agu), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
2cy bird. First observation for Aguascalientes. After some days with strong wind. From east or west coast?

First, Rare
Royal Tern 313    (1 photos)
2009-04-26   Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Adult in alternate plumage. Here with Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis).


Royal Tern 314    (1 photos)
2009-04-26   Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Probably 2cy bird still in basic plumage.


Royal Tern 675    (1 photos)
2012-05-12   El Tortugario - Estero Palo Verde, Cuyutlán, Colima (Col), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Young bird with dark band on secondaries as well as incomplete cap. Very common along the coast.


Royal Tern 2241    (1 photos)
2013-01-16   Puerto de Manzanillo, Colima (Col), Mexico

Adult in full alternate plumage! The literature says that adults normal don't molt the head until March and onward, with few exceptions. Like this bird. However it is my impression that many birds already from January and February along the Colima coast have acquired full alternate plumage.


Royal Tern 850    (1 photos)
2013-01-30   Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
2cy bird with catch. But many fishermen at the river mouth, and think this one was a bait rather than a catch by own efforts.


Royal Tern 851    (1 photos)
2013-01-30   Boca de Pascuales, Colima (Col), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Adult and 2cy bird. Many adult birds in Colima acquire black crown by mid January contrary to what the literature states about birds normally gaining full black crown during February.


Royal Tern 1243    (1 photos)
2013-11-13   Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo (Roo), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Young bird with dark markings on the flight feathers. Yucatán 2013.

Yucatan 2013
Royal Tern 2159    (1 photos)
2016-01-10   Laguna de Ilusiones, Villahermosa, Tabasco (Tab), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Basic plumage. Not sure of age.


Royal Tern 2271    (1 photos)
2016-02-28   Lo de Marcos, Nayarit (Nay), Mexico

Subspecies: maximus
Two birds in basic plumage. The two big ones looking toward the left. They stayed together as if a couple. Notice the size difference the two between, which is partly real, and partly because of the photo. The bird to the right, which is also smaller, reminds of an Elegant Tern with the long nape feathers, but with direct comparison with the two Elegant Terns in the photo it is obvious that it indeed is a Royal tern. Also Caspian Terns, Common Terns and Laughing Gulls.


Royal Tern 3366    (1 photos)
2020-01-04   Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Sin), Mexico

Subspecies: [maximus]
Classic profile from below. I would like it to be a young bird with the dark tail expecting this is not a shadow effect caused from being folded.


Royal Tern 3367    (7 photos)
2020-01-04   Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Sin), Mexico

Subspecies: [maximus]
Young bird with an extremely dark hand. Most if not all young birds develop a dark hand when the primaries get worn, but it is rarely I've seen one like this. 851 is similar.


Happy Birding
© 2005-2022
Truthfullness - Compassion - Forbearance