Phaethon lepturus

Chirre,
Rabijunco Coliblanco

IDENTIFICATION: A white, tern-like seabird with black wing tips and a black bar across the top of each wing. The two white, central tail feathers are narrow and very long. A black line extends through the eye. The bill is yellow, orange or reddish-orange. Immature birds have a barred back, but lack the adultÆs long tail. Length: 70-82 cm. (mostly the long tail streamer); weight: 220-410 g.

VOICE: The voice is a single or double, raspy "kik."

HABITAT: Nests on isolated rocky cliffs, but spends much of its life far out at sea.

HABITS: The White-tailed Tropicbird flies with rapid, deep wing beats high over the ocean, but will hover like an apparition over a fishing boat, unnoticed by human mariners until someone happens to look straight overhead. One theory is that the tropicbird has learned to home in on boats to catch flying fish that boats might flush. As the tropicbird flies, its long tail waves in a series of graceful curves. When it lands at sea in calm conditions, it holds its two central tail feathers high in an arc. The tropicbird travels alone over great distances to feed in patches of warm sea water. It feeds on squid and small fish---especially flying fish (Exocoetidae)---by diving from high above the sea surface. Air sacs in the birdÆs upper body cushion the impact with the water. Fish species from 14 families of fish have been identified as tropicbird prey in Puerto Rico. Its nest is on a bare ledge or in a crevice on a rocky cliff or talus slope. Between January and June the female lays a single white or pinkish egg with brown spots. The tropicbirdsÆ legs are so short, that it has to push its body with legs and wings to move on land. Because this species feeds far at sea, each parent may incubate for 7-9 days straight before being relieved by the other parent. The adult may lose 20% of its body weight during each incubation shift. The incubation period is long---about 41 days---and chicks donÆt fledge until 71-73 days after hatching.

STATUS AND CONSERVATION: A locally common species in late winter and spring near its nesting cliffs. Formerly hunted for food by Native Americans in the Caribbean, and later was hunted commercially for its feathers. Rats and crabs take a toll of young and eggs at some nesting islands, and oil pollution is a threat. The population in Puerto Rico has declined dramatically in the last few centuries. It formerly nested on cliffs of the southwestern and northern coasts of the main island of Puerto Rico, but is now restricted there to the northwestern coast and Mona, Monito, Culebra, and Caja de Muertos Islands. Only about 2,500-3,500 pairs nest throughout the West Indies.

RANGE: Found in tropical seas around the world. A regular location to see this species from the main island is the northwestern cliffs between Isabela and Barceloneta, especially at Guajataca. It is uncommon east of Puerto Rico.

TAXONOMY: PELECANIFORMES; PHAETHONTIDAE

References

Buckley, P.A. and F.G. Buckley. 1970. Notes on the distribution of some Puerto Rican birds and on the courtship behavior of White-tailed Tropicbirds. Condor 72:483-486.

del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. 1992. Handbook of Birds of the World, Vol. 1, Ostrich to ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Dammann, A.E. and D.W. Nellis. 1992. A natural history atlas to the cays of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL.

Erdman, D.S. 1967. Seabirds in relation to game fish schools off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Carib. J. Sci. 7:78-85.

Lee, D.S. and M. Walsh-McGehee. 1998. White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus). No. 353 in The birds of North America (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Lee, D.S. and M. Walsh-McGehee. 2000. Population estimates, conservation concerns, and management of tropicbirds in the Western Atlantic. Carib. J. Sci. 36(3-4):267-279.

Mackin, W. A. 2000. A geographic information system for seabird breeding sites in the West Indies. Pp. 174-181 in Status and conservation of West Indian seabirds (E. A. Schreiber and D. S. Lee, eds.). Soc. Carib. Ornith., Special Pub. No. 1.

Norton, R.L. 1988. The density and relative abundance of Pelecaniformes on the Eastern Puerto Rico Bank in December 1982. Carib. J. Sci. 24:28-31.

Pennycuick, C.J., F. C. Schaffner, M.R. Fuller, H.H. Obrecht III, and L. Sternberg. 1990. Foraging flights of the White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus): radiotracking and double-labeled water. Colon. Waterbirds 13:96-102.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Princeton.

Raffaele, H.A. 1989. Una guía a las aves de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Publishing Resources, Inc., Santurce, PR.

Raffaele, H.A., J.W. Wiley, O.H. Garrido, A.R. Keith, and J.I. Raffaele. 1998. Guide to the birds of the West Indies. Princeton.

Rolle, F. J., H. Heatwole, R. Lewins, and F. Torres. 1964. Faunal notes on Monito Island, Puerto Rico. Carib. J Sci. 4:321-322.

Schaffner, F.C. Jr. 1990a. Food provisioning by White-tailed Tropicbirds: effects on the developmental pattern of chicks. Ecology 71:375-390.

Schaffner, F.C. Jr. 1990b. Feed size and feeding periodicity in pelagic birds: notes on methodology. Colon. Waterbirds 13:7-15.

Schaffner, F.C. Jr. 1991. Nest site selection and nesting success of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) at Cayo Luis Pena, Puerto Rico. Auk 108:911-922.

Schreiber, E. A. and D. S. Lee. 2000. West Indian seabirds: a disappearing natural resource. Pp. 1-10 in Status and conservation of West Indian seabirds (E. A. Schreiber and D. S. Lee, eds.). Soc. Carib. Ornith., Special Pub. No. 1.

Schreiber, E. A. 2000. Action plan for conservation of West Indian seabirds. Pp. 182-191 in Status and conservation of West Indian seabirds (E. A. Schreiber and D. S. Lee, eds.). Soc. Carib. Ornith., Special Pub. No. 1.

Van Halewyn, R. and R.L. Norton 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in the Caribbean. Pp. 162-222 in Status and conservation of the worldÆs seabirds (J.P. Croxall, P.G.H. Evans, and R.W. Schreiber, eds. ). ICBP Tech. Publ. No.2.

Viña, N., M. Walsh-McGehee, and D. S. Lee. 1997. Current status of White-tailed Tropicbirds (Phaethon lepturus) nesting in Cuba. El Pitirre 10(3):98-99.

Walsh-McGehee, M. and D.S. Lee. 1998. The conservation status of tropicbirds in the West Indies. El Pitirre 11(2):60-61.

Walsh-McGehee, M. 2000. Status and conservation priorities for White-tailed and Red-tailed Tropicbirds in the West Indies. Pp. 31-38 in Status and conservation of West Indian seabirds (E. A. Schreiber and D. S. Lee, eds.). Soc. Carib. Ornith., Special Pub. No. 1.

Wiley, J. W. 2000. A bibliography of seabirds in the West Indies. Pp. 192-225 in Status and conservation of West Indian seabirds (E. A. Schreiber and D. S. Lee, eds.). Soc. Carib. Ornith., Special Pub. No. 1.

White-tailed Tropicbird, Spanish text

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