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White-tailed Tropicbird
Image by Tony Randall - Some rights reserved.
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White-tailed Tropicbird in flight
Image by Dunog - License: Public Domain.
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BIRD FACTS
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Description
Tropicbirds look like large terns with strong down-curved bills. They have short legs set far back - this makes them shuffle on their belly when on land. The White-tailed Tropicbird is white with long flexible tail streamers (the central two feathers). It has a black comma-shaped eyebrow and the lower half of the wings are black. Immatures are mottled and barred black with cream bill.
Other Names
Bosunbird
Size
63cm - 81cm including 40cm tail
Habitat
oceans, oceanic islands and coasts
Food
dives like a Gannet for fish and squid
Breeding
Breeds in tropical pacific, but not Australia
Range
occasional visitor to coast of north Queensland
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Pelecaniformes | | Family: | Phaethontidae | | Genus: | Phaethon | | Species: | lepturus | | Common Name: | White-tailed Tropicbird |
Relatives in same Genus
Red-tailed Tropicbird (P. rubricauda)
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