Phaethon lepturus
The White-tailed Tropicbird (*Phaethon lepturus*), the smallest of the three tropicbird species, is a graceful and distinctive seabird of tropical and subtropical oceans. Adults are striking, predominantly pristine white with black primary coverts, a black mask extending through the eye, and a stout, yellowish to orange bill. The most iconic feature is their pair of extremely long, white central tail streamers, which can double their body length of 38-40 cm, bringing their total length to 71-...
Strictly pelagic, spending almost its entire life over warm tropical and subtropical oceans. Breeds on remote oceanic islands and rocky coasts, typically on cliff ledges or in crevices.
Primarily consumes small fish, especially flying fish and squid, which it catches by plunge-diving into the open ocean. Also takes crustaceans.
White-tailed Tropicbirds are diurnal, spending most of their time airborne over the open ocean searching for prey, only coming to land for breeding. They employ a spectacular plunge-diving technique, hovering briefly before plummeting from heights of 5-20 meters to snatch fish or squid near the s...
The White-tailed Tropicbird boasts a pantropical distribution, breeding on numerous remote oceanic islands across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. In the Atlantic, significant colonies are found in the Caribbean (e.g., Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Lesser Antilles), South Atlantic islands (e.g.,...
Least Concern
- It is the smallest of the three tropicbird species globally. - Its scientific name, *Phaethon*, refers to the son of Helios in Greek mythology, who drove his father's chariot across the sky, fitting for its sun-drenched oceanic habitat. - The long central tail streamers can be twice the length ...