Red-tailed Tropicbird

Basic Description

The Red-tailed Tropicbird is a full-bodied, heavy-billed seabird of the tropical and subtropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. Adults are snowy white, with a touch of black around the eye, a coral red bill, and two fine red tail streamers. Juveniles lack tail streamers and have a black bill and heavily barred upperparts. Red-tailed Tropicbirds are generally solitary, patrolling the open ocean in search of flying fish and squid that they capture in dramatic plunge-dives from up to 50 meters in the air. They come ashore only to breed, performing elaborate aerial courtship displays before nesting on remote atolls.