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Red-billed Tropicbird

Phaethon aethereus · Species of seabird of tropical oceans
Order
Phaethontiformes
Codes
rebtro, RBTR

About the Red-billed Tropicbird

The red-billed tropicbird is a tropicbird, one of three closely related species of seabird of tropical oceans. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has mostly white plumage with some black markings on the wings and back, a black mask and, as its common name suggests, a red bill. Most adults have tail streamers that are about two times their body length, with those in males being generally longer than those in females. The red-billed tropicbird itself has three subspecies recognized, including the nominate. The subspecies mesonauta is distinguished from the nominate by the rosy tinge of its fresh plumage, and the subspecies indicus can be differentiated by its smaller size, more restricted mask, and more orange bill. This species ranges across the tropical Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The nominate is found in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the subspecies indicus in the waters off of the Middle East and in the Indian Ocean, and the subspecies mesonauta in the eastern portions of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and in the Caribbean. It was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderPhaethontiformes
FamilyTropicbirds (Phaethontidae)
SpeciesPhaethon aethereus
Species Codesrebtro, RBTR

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Red-billed Tropicbird belong to?

The Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) belongs to the Tropicbirds family (Phaethontidae), in the order Phaethontiformes.

How can I identify the Red-billed Tropicbird?

The red-billed tropicbird is a tropicbird, one of three closely related species of seabird of tropical oceans. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has mostly white plumage with some black markings on the wings and back, a black mask and, as its common name suggests, a red bill. Most ad...

Where can I report a Red-billed Tropicbird sighting?

You can log sightings of Red-billed Tropicbird on eBird (ebird.org) using species code rebtro, or on iNaturalist.