|
BIRD FACTS |
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
Credits: Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
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)
|
|