White-tailed Tropicbird

BirdMigratory

Jan 5

Phaethon lepturus

The white-tailed tropicbird performs noisy, aerial displays — swaying its tail streamer from side to side while gliding through the sky. A male courts a mate by flying above her and touching his tail to hers, they then glide away together in synchronized zigzag flight to find a nesting spot.

You might spot this bird as a gliding streak of black and white above the sea. Its white plumage is like a canvas for an inky brush. Two dark splotches run from its rear and curve onto each wing — like the inkblots of a Rorschach test. The black reappears on the end of each wing and dark trails run from its eye like smeared eyeliner. Its yellow beak adds the sole sunny colour to this bird's image, but it isn't its most prominent feature. A pair of central tail feathers stream behind it as it flies — visible at great distances — doubling the length of this sleek seabird.

A Life at Sea

This pelagic wanderer spends most of its life at sea, feasting on the vast aquatic bounty of fish, squid, and crustaceans. It plunge-dives from 20 metres (65 ft) from the sky to down below the waves, snapping up unsuspecting sealife, or it may wait for a fish to enter its own aerial domain — nabbing flying fish straight from the air. Far from land, out on the open ocean, it flies, dives, and swims; it's hungry work. Appropriately then, it has quite the appetite, able to catch and eat fish that are up to 18% of its own body weight.

Aerial Courtship & Terrestrial Nesting

A pair of white-tailed tropicbirds in flight.

It only returns to land when it comes time to nest and raise young. This requires a partner. Flocks of white-tailed tropicbirds alight in aerial displays of courtship. Up to 40 birds may fly together, putting on swooping performances in the pursuit of love. Their romantic balls are a noisy affair. A repeated "kek kek kek kek" call echos from the flock, accompanied by raspy screams. The long tail feathers are swayed from side to side — an enticing invitation. A male and female will fly together, one above the other, while touching tails. Once bonded, they will glide away together in a zigzag pattern towards a nesting spot.

A fluffy white-tailed tropicbird chick — each pair raises one chick at a time.

A nest-cavity is found in a cliffside, a hollow tree, or even on the ground covered in foliage. However, the ground is not this tropicbird's preferred terrain. Webbed feet on small legs set far back on its body make for a good swimmer, but cripple it on land. It cannot stand up straight, instead having to drag itself around with its feet, wings and beak. But these birds have thus far not found a way to raise young at sea, so here the couple lay their one egg and defend it with a staunch dedication — pecking at any intruder. Together, they incubate the egg and raise the chick. Once fledged and able to fly, the chicks take off and the parents are able to go back to sea, often dispersing to distances as far off as 1,000 km (620 miles).

Tropical Ave

As implied by its title, it is a resident of equatorial waters. Its oceanic range extends over Tropical Atlantic, Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. Their seasons of love are the best time to look for these birds — otherwise, you'd have to take a boat out to sea. This may prove difficult, as they don't follow a synchronized schedule, instead appearing at different nesting sights at variable times of year. In Bermuda, they first appear between late February and the end of March. In the Bahamas, these birds breed from March to July. On Kauaʻi, where the species is known as the 'koa'e kea', they are reported to be common year-round. Your best bet would be to visit one of these tropical islands in the summer and turn your head skywards in search of birds with trailing tail feathers.

**Where Does It Live?**

⛰️ Nesting sites; bare sandy ground, closed-canopy rainforest, rocky cliffs and quarries.
📍 Tropical Atlantic, Western Pacific and Indian Oceans. ¹

Size // Small
Length // 71 - 80 cm (28 - 31 in) (w/ tail feathers)
Wingspan // 89 - 96 cm (35 - 38 in)
Weight // 330 g (11.6 oz)
Activity: Diurnal ☀️
Lifestyle: Solitary (outside breeding season) 👤
Lifespan: Up to 16 years
Diet: Carnivore
Favorite Food: Fish & squid 🐟
Class: Aves
Order: Phaethontiformes
Family: Phaethontidae
Genus: Phaethon
Species: P. lepturus

The long, white tail streamers are used in courtship. One bird will fly above the other, lowering its tail to touch that of the bird below.
This bird's diet consists mostly of small fish. It may catch them by plunging into the water (from 20 metres (65 ft) in the air), swooping above the water, or snatching a flying fish mid-air.
It can eat quite a lot, catching fish that weigh as much as 18% of its own body weight.
White-tailed tropicbirds don't build a nest, but find the best place to lay their eggs. This could be on a ledge, in a crevice or hole (in a rock, tree, or log), or on the ground hidden in foliage.
Their nesting season differs from place to place. In some places, like Bermuda, it occurs during Spring and Summer, while on other tropical islands, such as Kauaʻi, they may nest year-round.
This is a pelagic bird, spending most of its life at sea. At the end of nesting season, the parents and chick will disperse to distances of up to 1,000 km (620 miles).