(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - tern, royal
OTHER COMMON NAMES -
ELEMENT CODE - 03/31/84
AOU CODE - 06/04/85
03/30/88
CATEGORY - Birds
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata, Vertebrata
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Aves, Neornithes
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Charadriiformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Laridae, Sterninae
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Thalasseus,
SPECIES AND SSP - maximus, maximus
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Thalasseus maximus maximus
AUTHORITY - Boddaert
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 404, 406 and 575
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Scientific name changed--genus: Sterna to Thalasseus;
species: maxima to maximus *406*; superorder: Neognathae *404*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Federal Migratory
See Comments
State endangered
Existing, FMP exists
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 4447 and 402
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
Because the Royal tern's nesting habitat constitutes a
fragile environment and the breeding colonies are so densely packed, the
population is vulnerable to both natural forces such as erosion and
flooding from high tides *402,1168,545*, and man-caused disasters such
as oil spills *402* Breeds along the Eastern Shore. Common to abundant
summer resident on coast, rare visitor farther inland.
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - 001, 131, 810, CB1, CB2, CB3, 133, 103, 119, 115, 073, 199, 095, 181, 093, 650, 700, 800, 550 and 740
References on Seasonal Occurrence - Common to abundant summer resident on coast, in Chesapeake
Bay, and on lower tidal rivers *700*; rare visitor farther inland,
usually late summer and fall *700*; uncommon to rare winter visitor,
usually in extreme southeast *700*
REFERENCES FOR HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODES - 001, 131, 810, 133, 103, 119, 115, 073, 199, 095, 181, 093, 650, 700, 800, 550 and 740
OTHER DISTRIBUTION
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - H
Comments on Distribution -
Common to abundant summer resident on coast. Rare visitor farther inland.
Uncommon to rare winter visitor. Only three records away from coast.*8511*
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
LAND USE -
Barren Land
Beaches
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 1168
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine, intertidal BB2 P
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 1168, 450 and 545
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Favored nesting habitats are sandy islands; either
natural or spoil *1168,450*; barren or sparsely vegetated
*402,1168,545*; with the nesting site at an elevation above high tide
level of 2-3 feet *1168*; or 1-2 feet *545*; preferred nesting habitat
is isolated and free of mammalian predators *402,487,450*; associate on
breeding grounds with common terns *487*; black skimmers *487,450*,
laughing gulls *450*, and sandwich terns *1168,450*
POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION -
065 Northern Cordgrass Prairie (Distichlis-Spartina)
101 Oak - Hickory - Pine Forest (Quercus-Carya-Pinus)
103 Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium)
REFERENCES FOR PNV - 700
ECOREGION -
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Flat Plains
REFERENCES FOR ECOREGION - 700
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Carnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 1168, 487 and 450
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Malacostraca Not Specified
General See Comments; Food See Comments
Important See Comments; Food See Comments
Juvenile See Comments; Food See Comments
Adult Malacostraca Not Specified
Adult See Comments; Food See Comments
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 1168, 487, 450 and 545
REFERENCES FOR IMPORTANT FOOD - 1168
REFERENCES FOR ADULT FOOD - 1168, 487, 450 and 545
REFERENCES FOR JUVENILE FOOD - 402, 487 and 2579
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
Small fish *1168,487,450*; royal terns dive for their
food which is primarily small fish less than 4 inches *1168*
COMMENTS ON ADULT FOOD -
Small fish *1168,487,450*; because of large size,
greater diversity in prey base *487*
COMMENTS ON JUVENILE FOOD -
Parents provide food for young *402,487*, into the
following winter *2579*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Coastal Features: Sand bars
G Water Level: Seasonal/Alternatiely flooded areas
G Coastal Features: Sandy offshore islands
G Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments
G Human Association: Specified in Comments
LIM Water Level: Specified in Comments
LIM Human Association: Specified in Comments
E Water Level: Specified in Comments
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 1168, 487 and 545
REFERENCES FOR LIMITING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 1168, 450 and 545
REFERENCES FOR EGG ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 1168 and 545
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
Feeding primarily in shallow bays and inlets *487,450*; frequently at some
distance from colony *487*; because breeding site is near high tide levels,
an abnormally high tide can wash away eggs and/or young *1168,545*, but
royal terns are known to renest *1168*; for colony site location, isolation
is important if not essential *450*
COMMENTS ON EGG ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
An abnormally high tide can wash away the eggs
*1168,545*
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
ORIGIN: native *404*; REPRODUCTION: 1-2 eggs/once a season
unless renesting necessary because of nest destruction *1168*; BEHAVIOR:
2-3 days after hatch, young form 'creche' *450*; young fledge at about
30 days *450*; both adults incubate, feed young *487,450*, defend nest
*487*; Nest site: shallow depression in the sand, with little or no
lining, in a densely packed colony *1168*; fall departure for Virginia
in mid-September, linger in North Carolina until end of November *1168*;
winter from North and South Carolina to Caribbean area and south to
Uruguay and central Argentina *404*; AQUATIC/TERRESTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS:
Larus atricilla, Thalasseus sandivicensis *1168,450*
COMMENTS ON LIFE HISTORY -
Laughing gulls are a major source of royal tern egg
mortality *450*; royal terns and sandwich terns nest together in densely
packed colonies *1168,450* and their young 'creche' together once
hatched *1168,450*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 1168, 487, 450 and 404
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Controlling pollution [thermal, chemical, physical]
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human use of habitats
Beneficial Restricting/regulating human disturbance of populations
Beneficial Other management practices [specified in comments]
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 402 and 450
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
(B)=Preservation of undisturbed nesting habitat is of
primary importance *402,450*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species tern, royal
Species Id M040187
Date 26 AUG 96
References
402* Akers, J.W. 1979. Royal tern. Proc. Symp. on Endangered and
Threatened Plants and Animals of Virginia Linzey, D.W. Ext.
Div., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ.
Blacksburg:454-455.
404* Union, American Ornithologists'. 1957. Check-list of North
American Birds. American Ornithologists' Union Baltimore,
Md:691.
406* Union, American Ornithologists', Nomencl., Comm. on
Classif. and. 1976. Thirty-third supplement to the AOU
check-list of North American birds. Auk 93:875-879.
450* Buckley, F.G., Buckley, P.A. 1972. The breeding ecology of
royal terns Sterna (Thalasseus) maxima maxima. Ibis 114:344-359.
487* Erwin, R.M. 1977. Foraging and breeding adaptations to
different food regimes in three seabirds: the common tern Sterna
hirundo, royal tern Sterna maxima, and black skimmer Rynchops
niger. Ecology 58:389-397.
545* Kale, H.W., II, Sciple, G.W., Tomkins, I.R. 1965. The royal
tern colony of Little Egg Island, Ga. Bird-Banding 12:21-27.
575* Mayr, E. 1969. Principles of Systematic Zoology.
McGraw-Hill New York, N.Y:428.
700* Ornithology, Virginia Society of. 1979. Virginia's
Birdlife: An Annotated Check-list. Virginia Avifauna No. 2.
Virginia Society of Ornithology Lynchburg, Va:118.
1168* Bent, A.C. 1921. Life histories of North American gulls
and terns. U.S. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 113. Reprint 1963 by Dover
Pubs. New York, N.Y:337.
2579* Ashmole, N.P., Tovar, J. Humberto. 1968. Prolonged
parental care in royal terns and other birds. Auk 85:90-100.
4447* Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife. 1985. 50(66):15.
References - 1