Royal Terns by Dan MacDill Shore

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV)

Avian and Attributes – Royal

ROY’AL, a. [L. regalis, from rex, king.]
1. Kingly; pertaining to a king; regal; as royal power or prerogative; a royal garden; royal domains; the royal family.
2. Becoming a king; magnificent; as royal state.
3. Noble; illustrious.
How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
ROY’AL, n.
1. A large kind of paper. It is used as a noun or an adjective.
2. Among seamen, a small sail spread immediately above the top-gallant-sail; sometimes termed the top-gallant-royal.
3. One of the shoots of a stag’s head.
4. In artillery, a small mortar.
5. In England, one of the soldiers of the first regiment of foot, called the royals, and supposed to be the oldest regular corps in Europe.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:” (James 2:8 KJV)

Royal Birds

Stout-billed Cinclodes (Cinclodes aricomae) ©WikiC

Royal Cinclodes (Cinclodes aricomae) is a passerine bird which breeds in the Andes of south-east Peru and adjacent Bolivia. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the stout-billed cinclodes C. excelsior. It is 20 cm long and weighs 50 g with a heavy bill and dark chocolate-brown on the body, face and crown with whitish mottling and streaking on the breast.

This bird has a population of less than 250, and is classified as Critically Endangered. It is confined to tiny, humid patches of Polylepis woodland and montane scrub, and the major threat to its survival is the use of fire and heavy grazing which restrict the regeneration of Polylepis.

Royal Parrotfinch ©Arkive

Royal Parrotfinch (Erythrura regia) is a species of estrildid finch endemic to Vanuatu in the South Pacific Ocean. It is found commonly at mid-altitudes on the larger islands such as Espiritu Santo, above 300 m., but it also can be found at small sea-level islands in fruiting figs in forest edge in Emae and Tongoa. This species is usually found in singles, pairs or small groups feeding on figs in the forest canopy.

Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) ©WikiC

Royal Penguin (Eudyptes schlegeli) is a species of penguin, which can be found on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island and adjacent islands. The scientific name commemorates the German zoologist Hermann Schlegel.

They inhabit the waters surrounding Antarctica. Royals look very much like macaroni penguins, but have a white face and chin instead of the macaronis’ black visage. Males are larger than females. Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea, where they are assumed to be pelagic.

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) ©WikiC

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) also known as the black-billed spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia. The royal spoonbill lives in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish and small insects by sweeping its bill from side to side. It always flies with its head extended.

Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis)©Flickr DCook

Royal Sunangel (Heliangelus regalis) is a species of hummingbird. It is endemic to subtropical elfin forests and shrubs in the Andes of northern Peru and adjacent south-eastern Ecuador. It is endangered due to habitat loss. It is strongly sexually dichromatic, and while females resemble other female sunangels, males are unique with their iridescent dark blue plumage.

Royal Terns by Dan MacDill AFB Shore

Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek Thalasseus, “fisherman”, from thalassa, “sea”. The specific maximus is Latin for ‘”greatest”.

This bird has two distinctive subspecies: T. m. maximus which lives on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the North and South America, and the slightly smaller T. m. albididorsalis lives on the coast of West Africa. The royal tern has a red-orange bill and a black cap during the breeding season, but in the winter the cap becomes patchy. The royal tern is found in Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean islands. The royal tern lives on the coast and is only found near salt water. They tend to feed near the shore, close to the beach or in backwater bays.

More Avian and Attributes

Birds whose first name starts with “R”

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[Definitions from Webster’s Dictionary of American English (1828), unless noted. Bird info from Wikipedia plus.]