Habitat
White-tailed Tropicbirds occur in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. They breed on small, remote oceanic islands and associated cays. They spend the nonbreeding season on the open ocean, typically in areas with warm (>22°C), nutrient-poor waters with patchy food sources.
Back to topFood
White-tailed Tropicbirds feed mainly on small fish—especially flying fish—and squid. They catch most of their prey via plunge dives, hovering above the water with their head and bill pointed down before making a steep vertical dive from heights of 15-20 meters (49–66 feet). They also catch flying fish while in flight. White-tailed Tropicbirds often associate with dolphins, tuna, and dolphinfish (mahi-mahi), catching small fish driven to the ocean surface by these predators.
Back to topNesting
Nest Placement
Frequently placed in caves, holes in cliffs, and other rocky crevices; sometimes in tree hollows.
Nest Description
Does not build a nest, instead laying a single egg directly on sand or some similar substance on the floor of the nest cavity.
Nesting Facts
| Egg Description: | Pale fawn to rich purple brown, with reddish-purple blotches. |
Behavior
White-tailed Tropicbirds are true seabirds, rarely occurring within sight of land except during courtship and nesting. They are usually solitary at sea but sometimes gather in small groups at temporary food sources. Tropicbirds are powerful fliers, traveling long distances on rapid, ternlike wingbeats. They sometimes feed or rest on the ocean surface, where they hold their long tail up out of the water. White-tailed Tropicbirds are likely monogamous. Both parents incubate a single egg and care for the lone chick. The nestling typically remains in the nest for 10–11 weeks, growing to up to 550 grams (1.2 pounds) before dropping to about 400 grams (0.9 pounds) when it leaves the nest. Fledglings depart the nest and head directly to the sea without any help from adults.
Back to topConservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists White-tailed Tropicbird's conservation status as Least Concern and estimates the global population size at 400,000 mature individuals.
Back to topCredits
BirdLife International. 2020. Phaethon lepturus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22696645A163887639. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22696645A163887639.en.
Floyd, T. (2025). Field Guide to the Birds of the United States and Canada. Eighth edition. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
Lee, D. S. and M. Walsh-McGee (2020). White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (S. M. Billerman, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whttro.01
Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P.L. and Berrett, D.G. (1987). A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, New Jersey.