White-tailed tropicbird
Phaethon lepturus
Identification Tips:
- Sexes similar
- Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed
- Tern-sized
- White head and body
- Outer primaries black
- Dark eye patch
Adult
- Long white tail streamers
- Yellow to orange bill
- Black diagonal bar on upperside of inner wing
Immature
- Lacks tail streamers
- Yellow bill
- Finely barred back
Similar species:
Adult Red-billed Tropicbird is larger with a slower wingbeat and lacks
black patches on upperwing. Immature Red-billed has less distinct barring
on the back. Adult Red-tailed Tropicbird also lacks the black patches on
the upperwing.