# White-tailed Tropicbird

Scientific name: (Phaethon lepturus)

Bird group: [tropicbird](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/tropicbird)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/138/White-tailed-Tropicbird

## Identification

The white-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) is a species of tropicbird. It is the smallest of three closely related seabirds of the tropical oceans and smallest member of the order Phaethontiformes. It is found in the tropical Atlantic, western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It also breeds on some Caribbean islands, and a few pairs have started nesting recently on Little Tobago, joining the red-billed tropicbird colony. In addition to the tropical Atlantic, it nests as far north as Bermuda, where it is locally called a "longtail".


## Distribution and habitat

The White-tailed Tropicbird occurs in tropical and subtropical 
oceans of the world (Oberle 
2018, Raffaele and others 1998). 
It is a locally common breeding 
resident in the West Indies, 
especially from March to June 
(Raffaele and others 1998), 
although birds actually start arriving in late December and 
are already in breeding mode 
by January. It has declined 
dramatically in recent centuries 
on Puerto Rico, as it once nested 
on cliffs of the southwestern and 
northern coasts of the mainland 
and is now restricted mostly 
to the northwestern coast as 
well as Culebra and associated 
cays (Schaffner 1991), Caja de 
Muerto, and Mona and Monito 
islands (Biaggi 1997, Kepler 
1978, Oberle 2018). However, it 
is also present near Desecheo 
(Biaggi 1997), and on Vieques 
it is considered rare in spring 
and summer, and extremely 
rare in winter (Gemmill 2015). 
It is regularly seen around the cliffs between the municipalities 
of Isabela and Barceloneta, 
especially near Guajataca (Oberle 
2018). It usually occurs far out 
at sea, except when visiting 
sea cliffs for nesting (Raffaele 
and others 1998). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 45 
records within 28 hexagons or 6 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 28 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding met the atlas definition 
of confirmed in 57 percent (16) 
of the hexagons, probable in 7 
percent (2), and possible in 11 
percent (3), while the species 
was observed in 25 percent (7) 
of the hexagons but without 
evidence of breeding (see map).White-tailed Tropicbird distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones 
in Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       129White-tailed Tropicbird/Chirre Coliblanco

## Breeding

Previously published reports indicate that the White-tailed 
Tropicbird breeds primarily 
from March to July (Raffaele 
and others 1998). This species 
nesting is now mostly restricted 
to rocky crevices and bare ledges 
on sea cliffs or talus slopes 
(Oberle 2018, Raffaele and others 
1998, Schaffner 1991). Atlas 
results show that this species 
breeds from February to July 
with the most breeding activity 
during the months of March and 
April (see chart). The breeding activity peaks in April, and it 
mostly takes place within the 
subtropical dry forest life zone 
(see chart). Results show that this 
species breeds in coastal areas 
mostly within the subtropical 
dry forest life zone (76 percent 
of the hexagons) (see table) but 
also within the subtropical moist 
forest life zone (24 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The current global population trend of the White-tailed 
Tropicbird is suspected to be in decline due to predation 
by invasive species (BirdLife 
International 2018). Nonetheless, 
it is currently listed as a species 
of least concern by the IUCN 
(BirdLife International 2018). 
Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
White-tailed Tropicbird has a 
protected habitat in land of 18 
percent or 89 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons 
where evidence of breeding was 
found for this species (503 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_138_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_138_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.