(Credit: U. S. Geological Survey)

Red-billed Tropicbird - Phaethon aethereus

Identification Tips:

  1. Length: 34 inches Wingspan: 44 inches
  2. Sexes similar
  3. Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed
  4. Tern-sized
  5. White head and body
  6. Finely barred back
  7. Outer primaries black
  8. Dark eye patch sometimes extends across nape

Adult

  1. Long white tail streamers
  2. Red bill

Immature

  1. Lacks tail streamers
  2. Yellow bill

Similar species:

Adult Red-billed Tropicbird is larger than White-tailed Tropicbird with a slower wingbeat and lacks black patches on upperwing. Immature Red-billed has less distinct barring on the back. Adult Red-tailed Tropicbird lacks barring on the back. Immature Red-tailed has less black on the nape and in the primaries.