A large orange-billed tern, Thalasseus maximus (also called Sterna maxima), which frequents the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America, and the coast of West Africa.
Origin
Mid 19th century.
Definition of royal tern in US English:
royal tern
noun
A large orange-billed tern, Thalasseus maximus (also called Sterna maxima), which frequents the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America, and the coast of West Africa.