white-tailed tropicbird
{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = White-tailed tropicbird
| image = Phaethon lepturus (Warwick, Bermuda) (cropped).jpg
| image_caption = Warwick Parish, Bermuda
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Phaethon
| species = lepturus
| authority = Daudin, 1802
| range_map = Phaethon lepturus map.svg
}}
The white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) or yellow-billed tropicbird 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".[http://www.audubon.bm/conservation/longtail Longtail. The Bermuda] Audubon Society.
Taxonomy
File:Phaethon lepturus -Midway Atoll, USA -flying-8.jpg]]
French zoologist François Marie Daudin described the white-tailed tropicbird in 1802.{{ cite book | last1=Lacépède | first1=Bernard Germain de | author1-link=Bernard Germain de Lacépède | last2=Daudin | first2=François Marie | author2-link=François Marie Daudin | chapter=Tableau des sous-classes, divisions, sous-divisions, ordres et genres des oiseaux, par le Cen Lacépède; avec l'indication de toutes les espèces décrites par Buffon, et leur distribution dans chacun des genres, par F. M. Daudin | date=1799 | language=French | editor-last=Buffon | editor-first=Georges-Louis Leclerc de | editor-link=Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | title=Histoire Naturelle par Buffon Dédiée au citoyen Lacépède, membre de l'Institut National | volume=14: Quadrupedes | location=Paris | publisher=P. Didot l'ainé et Firmin Didot | pages=197–346 [319] | chapter-url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/42033569 }} Although the date of 1799 is printed on the title page, this volume was not published until 1802. For a discussion of the date see: {{ cite journal | last=Richmond | first=Charles W. | author-link=Charles Wallace Richmond | date=1899 | title=On the date of Lacépède's 'Tableaux' | journal=Auk | volume=16 | issue=4 | pages=325–329 | doi=10.2307/4069359 | jstor=4069359 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15935570 }}{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Cottrell | editor2-first=G. William | year=1979 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=1 | edition=2nd | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=158 | url= https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16108798 }}
"White-tailed tropicbird" has been designated the official name by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).{{cite web | editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | year=2023 | title=Kagu, Sunbittern, tropicbirds, loons, penguins | work=World Bird List Version 13.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/loons/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=27 November 2023}}
Its closest relative is the red-tailed tropicbird (P. rubricauda), the split between their ancestors taking place about four million years ago.{{cite journal|last1=Kennedy|first1=Martyn|last2=Spencer|first2=Hamish G|title=Phylogenies of the frigatebirds (Fregatidae) and tropicbirds (Phaethonidae), two divergent groups of the traditional order Pelecaniformes, inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=31|issue=1|year=2004|pages=31–38|pmid=15019606|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2003.07.007|bibcode=2004MolPE..31...31K }}
Six subspecies are recognised by the IOC:
- P. l. lepturus—found across the topical Indian Ocean.
- P. l. fulvus (golden bosun)—native to Christmas Island. This form has a golden wash to the white plumage
- P. l. dorotheae—tropical western Pacific
- P. l. catesbyi—Bermuda and Caribbean
- P. l. ascensionis—Ascension Island and Fernando de Noronha
- P. l. europae—Europa Island, s. Mozambique Channel{{cite journal | doi= 10.1111/j.1474-919X.1999.tb07546.x | title= Geographical variation in the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, with the description of a new subspecies endemic to Europa Island, southern Mozambique Channel | date= 1999 | last1= Corre | first1= Matthieu Le | last2= Cebc | first2= Pierre Jouventin | journal= Ibis | volume= 141 | issue= 2 | pages= 233–239 }}
Description
The adult white-tailed tropicbird is a slender, mainly white bird, {{Convert|71-80|cm|abbr=on}} long including the very long central tail feathers, which double its total length. The wingspan is {{Convert|89-96|cm|abbr=on}}. The bird has a black band on the inner wing, a black eye-mask, and an orange-yellow to orange-red bill.{{cite book |last1=Redman |first1=Nigel |last2=Stevenson |first2=Terry |last3=Fanshawe |first3=John |title=Birds of the Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Socotra - Revised and Expanded Edition |series=Princeton Field Guides |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, New Jersey |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-691-17289-7 |oclc=944380248 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QOs9DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA42 |page=42 |access-date=2018-11-27}} The bill colour, pure white back and black wing bar distinguish this species from the red-billed tropicbird.
The white-tailed tropicbird breeds on tropical islands, laying a single egg directly onto the ground or a cliff ledge. It disperses widely across the oceans when not breeding, and sometimes wanders far. It feeds on fish and squid, caught by surface plunging, but this species is a poor swimmer. The call is a high screamed {{not a typo|keee-keee-krrrt-krrt-krrt}}. Sexes are similar, although males on average are longer tailed, but juveniles lack the tail streamers, have a green-yellow bill, and a finely barred back. The white-tailed tropicbird does not have a yearly breeding cycle; instead, breeding frequency depends on the climate and availability of suitable breeding sites. The bird can reproduce 10 months after the last successful breeding, or 5 months after an unsuccessful one.
Behavior
File:White-tailed Tropicbird.jpg
File:Tropicbird Seychelles.jpg]]
The white-tailed tropicbird feeds mainly on flying fish, squid and crabs.{{Cite web |title=White-tailed Tropicbird {{!}} Audubon Field Guide |url=https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/white-tailed-tropicbird |access-date=2024-04-21 |website=Audubon |language=en}} It catches its prey by diving from height of up to 20 meters, as do gannets. However, flying fish are caught in flight. It usually feeds in pairs. Prey is often detected by hovering above the surface as the bird swallows it before taking off.{{cite web |url=http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-white-tailed-tropicbird.html |title=White-tailed Tropicbird |website=www.oiseaux-birds.com}}File:Phaethon lepturus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.2.12.jpg]]
Conservation status
Population trends are unknown. In Mexico it is not under any category of protection, and no specific conservation programs for these tropicbirds are known. However, the species is found in various conservation programs as an American waterfowl. It is recommended to conduct studies on the biology of this species at sea, as well as monitoring of breeding colonies. Globally it is considered a species of Least Concern.{{cite web |url=https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/whttro/conservation |title=White-tailed Tropicbird – Conservation – Neotropical Birds Online |website=neotropical.birds.cornell.edu|date=22 November 2023 }}
Folklore
The ancient Chamorro people called the white-tailed tropicbird utak or itak, and believed that when it screamed over a house it meant that someone would soon die or that an unmarried girl was pregnant. Its call would kill anyone who did not believe in it. Chamorro fishermen would find schools of fish by watching them.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9r0a2ww8KLcC&pg=PA112 |page=112 |title=Ancient Chamorro Society |year=1992 |publisher=Bess Press |first=Lawrence J. |last=Cunningham|isbn=9781880188057 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite book |last=ffrench |first=Richard |title=A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago |edition=2nd |year=1991 |publisher=Comstock Publishing |isbn=978-0-8014-9792-6}}
- {{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Peter |title=Seabirds of the World |year=1996 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton |isbn=978-0-691-01551-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/seabirdsofworldp00harr }}
External links
{{Commons category|Phaethon lepturus}}
{{Wikispecies|Phaethon lepturus}}
- {{EBirdSpecies|whttro|White-tailed Tropicbird}}
- [https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=whttro White-tailed tropicbird videos, photos and sounds] on the Internet Bird Collection
{{Tropicbirds}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q528117}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Birds of the Atlantic Ocean
Category:Birds of the Caribbean
Category:Birds of the Dominican Republic
Category:Birds of the Indian Ocean
Category:Birds of the Pacific Ocean
Category:Birds of Ascension Island
Category:Birds of Saint Helena Island
Category:Birds described in 1802