The Caspian Tern range is literally global, nesting on every continent save Antarctica. They breed in large colonies in Canada and the American Northwest in the summer months. Royal Terns breed on the shores of southern New England and the mid-Atlantic states in the summer and migrate to Florida and to the Caribbean in the winter, as do the Caspian Terns. The Caspian favors both freshwater and saltwater environments, whereas the Royal prefers the shoreline. The Caspian is the world's largest tern with a body length of two feet and a wingspan that approaches five feet. Its bill is distinctively thick, bright orange but dark at the tip which distinguishes it from the Royal Tern which does not have a dark tipped bill. Both the Caspian & Royal Tern can live until they are around 30. The Caspian and Royal Terns feed mostly on fish captured in nimble aerial dives. To locate prey, they fly above water between 10 and 100 feet high as they scan the water with their bill pointed downward. When they spot prey they dive rapidly usually submerging their body in the process, but sometimes, they snatch the prey from the water without diving in. The terns usually consume fish in flight quickly after capture. Unlike the smaller Royal Tern, the Caspian does not venture far out to sea when foraging. (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology & Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
