A photo of a White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus)
White-tailed Tropicbird

White-tailed Tropicbird

Phaethon lepturus

The white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) is a tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It also breeds on some Caribbean islands, and a few pairs have started nesting recently on Little Tobago, joining the red-billed tropicbird colony. In addition to the tropical Atlantic, it nests as far north as Bermuda, where it is locally called a "longtail". The adult white-tailed tropicbird is a slender, mainly white bird, 71–80 cm long including the very long central tail feathers, which double its total length. The wingspan is 89–96 cm. The bird has a black band on the inner wing, a black eye-mask, and an orange-yellow to orange-red bill. The bill colour, pure white back and black wing bar distinguish this species from the red-billed tropicbird.
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White-tailed Tropicbirds on Birda

Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ‰
Ross Davis
Wednesday 08 Feb 2023 - 5:53am
Mauritius
A map showing the sighting location
🐓
Rebeckah Watkins
Friday 27 Jan 2023 - 1:25am
United States
A photo of a White-tailed Tropicbird photographed in  United States
🐓
Rebeckah Watkins
Tuesday 17 Jan 2023 - 12:17am
United States
A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶĒ
Lucas Corneliussen
Monday 19 Dec 2022 - 4:55pm
United States
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