The White-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) is a beautiful pelagic tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and the smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. In Bermuda, it is locally called a "longtail".
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
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SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe adult White-tailed tropicbird is a slender, mainly white bird. It has very long central tail feathers, which double its total length. The bird has a black band on the inner wing, a black eye-mask, and an orange-yellow to orange-red bill. The bill color, pure white back, and black wing bar distinguish this species from its closest relative, the Red-billed tropicbird. Sexes are similar, although males on average are longer-tailed. Juvenile White-tailed tropicbirds lack the tail streamers, have a green-yellow bill, and a finely barred back.
White-tailed tropicbirds are found in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They also breed 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, White-tailed tropicbirds nest as far north as Bermuda. Their habitat includes pelagic waters and the coasts of seas.
White-tailed tropicbirds spend most of their lives in the open ocean. They can be found on land only when nesting and raising their chicks. When not breeding, they disperse widely across the oceans and sometimes wander far. These birds are poor swimmers. They catch their prey by diving from a height of up to 20 meters (65 ft), as do gannets. However, flying fish are caught in flight. They usually feed in pairs in the mornings and late afternoons. Prey is often detected by hovering above the surface and then the bird swallows it before taking off. When not nesting, White-tailed tropicbirds are usually silent and call when in flight. However, in the breeding colony, they can be quite vocal, especially if disturbed. Their call is a high screamed 'keee-keee-krrrt-krrt-krrt'.
White-tailed tropicbirds are carnivores (piscivores). They feed mainly on flying fish, squid, and crabs.
White-tailed tropicbirds are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. Pairs are formed through spectacular courtship displays when both birds perform aerobatics and glides. They can breed at any time of the year depending on the climate and availability of suitable breeding sites. White-tailed tropicbirds breed on tropical islands, gathering in loose colonies; each pair defends its nesting site from neighboring pairs. The female lays a single egg directly onto the ground or a cliff ledge. Both parents incubate the egg for about 40-42 days. The chick is covered with pale down when it hatches. It is fed by both parents and fledges at the age of 70 to 85 days. It learns to fly very quickly and becomes immediately independent.
Although White-tailed tropicbirds are not globally threatened, their populations still decline in some areas. In Bermuda, due to hurricanes, these birds lose nesting sites. They even often reuse the same nest several times, because nest sites are scarce. White-tailed tropic birds also suffer from oil pollution at sea and human disturbances at nesting colonies.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the White-tailed tropicbird is less than 400,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, but its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...