White-tailed Tropicbird
NameWhite-tailed Tropicbird
Common NameWhite-tailed Tropicbird
Scientific NamePhaethon lepturus
FamilyPhaethontidae
Wingspan (cm)92.5
Length (cm)75.5
Weight (g)320
Plumage DetailsPredominantly white body with black primary tips and a black bar across the inner primaries/outer secondaries. A distinct black stripe runs through the eye. The bill is yellow to orange-yellow, and it possesses two very long, slender white central tail streamers.
Vocalization / CallVocalizations include harsh, rattling, and screaming calls, often heard around breeding colonies or when disturbed.
Primary Dietpiscivore
Primary Habitatscoastal
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Geographic RangeWidespread across tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, breeding on remote oceanic islands.
Identifying Featureslong white tail streamers, all-white body, black markings on outer wings, yellow to orange-yellow bill, black eye-stripe
Description
The White-tailed Tropicbird is a graceful seabird known for its predominantly white plumage and two extremely long tail streamers. It is a pelagic species, spending most of its life over open ocean and coming to remote islands only to breed.
