Red-billed Tropicbird
Photo: Red-billed tropicbird · CC0

Tropicbirds

Red-billed Tropicbird

Phaethon aethereus

LCLeast Concern
Family
Tropicbirds (Phaethontidae)
Order
Phaethontiformes

Overview

The red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) is a tropicbird, one of three closely related species of seabird of tropical oceans. Superficially resembling a tern in appearance, it has mostly white plumage with some black markings on the wings and back, a black mask and, as its common name suggests, a red bill. Most adults have tail streamers that are about two times their body length, with those in males being generally longer than those in females. The red-billed tropicbird itself has three subspecies recognized, including the nominate.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.