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White-tailed Tropicbird

White-tailed Tropicbird

Phaethon lepturus

Range & Recent Observations

White-tailed Tropicbirdis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the White-tailed Tropicbird

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".

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Phaethon lepturus
Family
Tropicbirds
Order
Phaethontiformes

Similar species

Other members of the tropicbirds family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus
  • Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda

Know when the White-tailed Tropicbird turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting White-tailed Tropicbird

Optics

Best Binoculars for Beginners

You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.

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Cameras

Cameras for Bird Photography

From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

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