Royal tern
| Royal tern | |
|---|---|
| Winter plumage | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Thalasseus |
| Species: | T. maximus |
| Binomial name | |
| Thalasseus maximus (Boddaert, 1783) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Sterna maxima | |
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.