Tropicbirds (Phaethontidae)
Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) - HBW 1, p. 288
French: Phaéton à brins rouges
German: Rotschwanz Tropikvogel
Spanish: Rabijunco Colirrojo
Other common names: Silver Bosunbird
Taxonomy: Phaeton [sic] rubricauda Boddaert, 1783, Mauritius.
Birds of C Pacific sometimes placed in separate race rothschildi. Recent work indicates that races form a N S cline, and that species should probably be considered monotypic. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- rubricauda Boddaert, 1783 - W Indian Ocean.
- westralis Mathews, 1912 - E Indian Ocean.
- roseotincta (Mathews, 1926) - SW Pacific.
- melanorhynchus Gmelin, 1789 - W, C & S Pacific.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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An adult individual flying and a close view in slow motion Locality I Chenchon Bird Sanctuary, Rota, Northern Mariana Islands (ssp melanorhynchus)
Curt Kessler 30 November 2006 5 years ago 29 sec 4.5 -
A juvenile on the ground. Locality Nosy Ve Island, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar (ssp rubricauda)
Paul Clarke 28 September 2011 48 weeks ago 16 sec 4.4 -
An adult sitting on a nest. Locality Nosy Ve Island, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar (ssp rubricauda)
Paul Clarke 28 September 2011 48 weeks ago 21 sec 4.4 -
A pair with their chick Locality Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia (ssp roseotincta)
Peter Nash 26 October 2006 6 years ago 1 min 10 sec 4.2 -
An adult sitting on the ground gets up and walks away Locality Midway, Hawaiian Islands (ssp melanorhynchus)
Bill Scholtz 11 May 2001 9 years ago 11 sec 3.9 -
A bird in flight. Locality Nosy Ve Island, Antsiranana Province, Madagascar (ssp rubricauda)
Paul Clarke 28 September 2011 48 weeks ago 15 sec 3.3
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An adult bird in flight
Locality Kauai, Hawaiian Islands (ssp melanorhynchus)
Aleix Comas 21 July 2009 3 years ago 4.2 -
Incubating adult on its neset on the ground, on the of a cliff
Locality Walpole Island, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
Julien Baudat-Franceschi 23 September 2009 38 weeks ago 4 -
Adult bird in flight
Locality Kauai, Hawaiian Islands (ssp melanorhynchus)
Aleix Comas 21 July 2009 3 years ago 4 -
A juvenile Red-tailed Tropicbird resting under the beach scrub
Locality Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, Line Islands, Kiribati
srchester 1 March 1985 20 weeks ago 3.9 -
Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)
Locality Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands (ssp melanorhynchus)
Dani Valverde 17 April 2009 2 years ago 3.9 -
Chick being fed by one of the adults.
Locality Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia
Cliff Thornley 15 October 1998 1 year ago 3.7
- No sound recordings available yet
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