Thalasseus maximus
Status: Accidental in fall.
Documentation: Specimen: UNSM ZM 18317, 10 Sep 2008 Platte Co.
Taxonomy: No subspecies are currently recognized (Gill et al 2022).
Fall: There is one record. A moribund individual was found at Lakes North and Babcock, Platte Co 8-10 Sep 2007 (Rehme et al 2008), following Hurricane Ike, which caused severe damage in states from Texas northward. It was seriously emaciated 9 Sep, seen barely living on 10 Sep, and found dead later the same day. It was recovered and prepared as specimen UNSM ZM 18317; it is a female in adult basic plumage (Brogie 2008).
Comments: Eight of the nine records from neighboring states (eBird.org, accessed Oct 2023; Rehme et al 2008) are evenly spread Jun-Sep, with two or three for each month, the exception an odd record for Oklahoma 19 Jan 1989 (Newell and Newell). Buckley and Buckley (2020) note “Although normally strictly coastal, boreal S. m. maxima has been found at various inland locations in North and Middle America, especially, but not only, after tropical storms and hurricanes.”
Images
Abbreviations
UNSM: University of Nebraska State Museum
Literature Cited
Brogie, M.A. 2008. 2007 (19th) Report of the NOU Records Committee. NBR 76: 111-119.
Buckley, P.A. and F.G. Buckley. 2020. Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.royter1.01.
Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
Newell, J.G., and D. M. Newell. 1989. A New Bird for Oklahoma: Royal Tern. Bulletin of the Oklahoma Ornithological Society. 22: 26-27.
Rehme, S.E., T.E. Labedz, and J. Paseka. 2008. First Nebraska record for the Royal Tern (Sterna maxima) and a review of regional records. NBR 76: 39-45.
Recommended Citation
Silcock, W.R., and J.G. Jorgensen. 2023. Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus). In Birds of Nebraska — Online. www.BirdsofNebraska.org
Birds of Nebraska – Online
Updated 19 Oct 2023