The Red-tailed Tropicbird
is found throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It nests on tropical islands, including Hawaii, but is
otherwise mainly seen far out at sea, rarely near the shore. They are more pelagic (seen on the open
ocean) than other tropicbirds.
There are three species of
tropicbirds making up the sole members of the family Phaethontidae: Red-tailed,
White-tailed and Red-billed Tropicbirds. They are very graceful and fluid in
flight.
The Red-tailed Tropicbird
is about 16 inches long and its tail is another 14-21 inches long. Its entire tail is not that long
however; it has a few very long red tail feather streamers. Like its other
family member species, they have mostly white feathers with long pointed wings,
short necks, and wedge-shaped tails. Their bills are dark red, and they have
black eye patches with a stripe.
Red-tailed
tropicbird in flight
Tropicbirds are incredibly
graceful and agile in flight; however, they are very awkward and clumsy walking on land.
They have extremely short legs and webbed feet, well adapted to paddling
in the open sea, but not for walking on solid ground. Click here
to watch a video of them waddling as best they can! They have to scoot around on their bellies for the most
part.
Even though they are
clumsy on land, they are excellent flyers. They can remain at sea for indefinite amounts of time,
soaring up on riding ocean wind currents and flying with rapid wing beats. When hunting, they will spiral
downwards and plunge into the ocean to catch fish in their serrated beak.
These birds perform
complex aerial courtship displays.
They will fly backwards and in circles, meanwhile waving their tails
back and forth. They may also
engage in courtship bicycling flight, where one bird hovers over the other and
then they shift positions.
Females lay one egg on the
ground in a shaded area and both parents take turns incubating the egg. After the chick hatches, it looks like
the cutest white ball of fluff you have ever seen! It looks like it’s been overtaken by fluff and the only
thing visible are their tiny black beaks and beady little eyes. In about 3 months fledging occurs and
they begin to leave the nest.
None of the three species
of tropicbirds are endangered or threatened. With so many other seabirds becoming threatened by
pollution, sea fishing, and disturbance of their island breeding grounds, this
is a welcome anomaly.
Submitted by Sara Oliver,
World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist
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