White-tailed tropicbird

Home   ›   National bird of India   ›   Red-tailed tropicbird   ›   White-tailed tropicbird - Phaethon lepturus.

The white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) belongs to the tropicbird family, Phaethontidae. Of the three closely related tropicbirds, this tropicbird is the smallest. It occurs in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. There are six recognized subspecies. The subspecies P. l. catesbyi occurs in Caribbean and Bermuda.

The subspecies P. l. ascensionis is found in central and southern Atlantic ocean. P. l. europae is found in Europa Island and south Mozambique Channel. P. l. lepturus occurs in Indian Ocean. The subspecies P. l. fulvus occurs in Christmas Island. P. l. dorotheae occurs in western and central Pacific ocean.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated these bird species and has listed them as of "Least concern".

The white-tailed tropicbird is a small bird, measuring 70-80 cm in length of which tail streamer is about 40 cm. The wingspan is nearly 100 cm. They have mostly white plumage and a black band on the inner wing. There is also a black band through the eyes. the bill is orange-yellow to orange red.

Indian bird - White-tailed tropicbird - Phaethon lepturus

They feed on fish, flying fish, crustaceans and squids.

The males tend to have longer tail trails. These birds breed on the tropical islands. They lay eggs directly on the ground. A single egg is laid and is incubated by both the parents.

Biological classification of Phaethon lepturus
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Phaethontiformes
Family:	Phaethontidae
Subfamily:	-
Genus:	Phaethon
Species:	P. lepturus
Binomial name:	Phaethon lepturus
Distribution:	tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans;
Feeding habits:	small crustaceans, fish and squid,;
IUCN status listing:	Least Concern

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Red-tailed tropicbird

Home   ›   Indian national bird   ›   Red-billed tropicbird   ›   Red-tailed tropicbird - Phaethon rubricauda.

The red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) belongs to the family of tropicbirds, Phaethontidae. These seabirds nest in colonies in remote islands off Indian and Pacific oceans. There are four recognized subspecies of red-tailed tropicbirds. The subspecies P. r. rubricauda occurs in western Indian ocean. The subspecies P. r. westralis is found in the eastern Indian ocean. The subspecies P. r. roseotinctus and P. r. melanorhynchos occur in Pacific ocean.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated these bird species and has listed them as of "least concern".

These tropicbirds are small birds, measuring 75-80 cm in length including tail streamers and weighing 600-800 grams. The streamers may measure up to 35 cm in length. They have predominantly white plumage, often with a pink tinge. The long trailing tail feathers are bright crimson in color. The beak is crimson, curved slightly and serrated. The feet are webbed and black in color. There is a black crescent mark around the eyes.

These tropicbirds are pelagic birds, rarely seen from the land. They feed by catching their prey from the water surface as well as plunge diving. Their feed consists of fish, flying fish, crustaceans and squids.
These birds are monogamous and nest on the ground. The female lays a single egg and both the parents take turns in incubating. The parents feed the chick for two to three months.

Indian bird - Red-tailed tropicbird - Phaethon rubricauda

Biological classification of Phaethon rubricauda
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Phaethontiformes
Family:	Phaethontidae
Subfamily:	-
Genus:	Phaethon
Species:	P. rubricauda
Binomial name:	Phaethon rubricauda
Distribution:	Indian and Pacific Oceans;
Feeding habits:	small crustaceans, fish and squid,;
IUCN status listing:	Least Concern

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Red-billed tropicbird

Home   ›   National bird of India   ›   Great crested grebe   ›   Red-billed tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus.

The red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus), belongs to the tropicbirds family, Phaethontidae. There are three recognized subspecies of red-billed tropicbirds. The subspecies P. a. mesonauta is distributed in the east Pacific ocean, Caribbean sea and east Atlantic ocean. P. a. aethereus is distributed in the south Atlantic ocean. P. a. indicus occurs in Indian ocean, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and occasionally in waters adjoining western Indian islands.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated these bird species and has listed them as of "least concern".

These crimson billed tropicbirds are the largest of the three tropicbird species and measure 90-100 cm in length, including the 50 cm long tail streamers. The wingspan is nearly 100 cm. The adult birds weigh around 750 grams. These birds have stout, slightly curved, crimson beak. They have white body with wings having black tips. The upper parts have fine black barring. There is a black stripe passing through the eyes. The males and females appear similar except for the longer tail streamer in the male birds.

These crimson billed tropicbirds are pelagic seabirds breeding on remote islands. They feed on fish, flying fish, crustaceans and other pelagic life plucked from the surface of the water or by diving into the water. These tropicbirds breed in loose colonies. The nest usually contain a single egg and the incubation is predominantly by the female bird. The parent tropicbirds take turns to feed the chick.

Indian bird - Red-billed tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus

Biological classification of Phaethon aethereus
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Phaethontiformes
Family:	Phaethontidae
Subfamily:	-
Genus:	Phaethon
Species:	P. aethereus
Binomial name:	Phaethon aethereus
Distribution:	Pakistan and western India;
Feeding habits:	small crustaceans, fish and squid,;
IUCN status listing:	Least Concern

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