Red-Tailed Tropicbird

phaethon rubricauda

The Red-tailed Tropicbird, often considered one of the most striking seabirds, is a true master of the open ocean. Characterized by its brilliant white plumage and long, crimson tail streamers, this species spends the majority of its life soaring over the warm, tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Rather than relying on land, they only come ashore to breed, selecting remote oceanic islands and atolls to raise their young. Watching a Red-tailed Tropicbird in flight is a mesmerizing experience. They perform breathtaking, acrobatic aerial courtship displays, flying in synchronized circles while calling out to mates. Despite their aerial agility and prowess in plunge-diving for fish, they are incredibly awkward on land. Their legs are positioned so far back on their bodies that they cannot walk properly, instead awkwardly shuffling forward on their bellies to reach their nests.

生息地: Exclusively marine and pelagic, they spend most of their lives over warm tropical oceanic waters, coming ashore only to nest on remote coral atolls and volcanic islands.

外見

The Red-tailed Tropicbird is a medium-sized seabird primarily boasting bright white plumage that contrasts sharply with a black crescent-shaped mask extending through the eyes. Its most distinct feature is a pair of extremely elongated, thin, bright red central tail feathers, known as streamers, which can double the bird's overall length. They have a stout, bright red beak suited for catching fish, and subtle black shafts visible on their primary flight feathers. With a wingspan reaching up to 120 cm, they have a robust, somewhat chunky body shape in flight, setting them apart from other slender seabirds.

界Animalia門Chordata綱Aves目Phaethontiformes科Phaethontidae属Phaethon

Red-Tailed Tropicbird

カテゴリ

鳥類

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Because they lack a brood patch, they use their webbed feet, which are heavily supplied with blood vessels, to keep their single egg warm during incubation.

In Polynesian culture, the vibrant red tail feathers of this bird were highly prized and historically used for personal adornment and trade.

The red tail streamers of a Red-tailed Tropicbird can take up to 35 centimeters of their total body length.

They are known to fly hundreds of miles away from land and can remain at sea for months without ever touching solid ground.

特殊能力

They can hover briefly 15 to 30 meters above the water before folding their wings and diving like a missile into the ocean to catch fish and squid.

Because their legs are positioned extremely far back on their bodies to aid in swimming, they cannot walk on two legs and must awkwardly push themselves forward on their bellies on land.

During mating season, they perform spectacular, synchronized aerial displays, involving high-speed chases, backward flight, and intricate vertical circles in the sky.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 90-105 cm
翼開長: 100-120 cm
体重: 0.6-0.85 kg
寿命: 15-20 年
Top Speed: 45 km/h
一度の産卵数: 1
抱卵期間: 40-50 日

食性と食事

The Red-tailed Tropicbird is a marine predator that feeds heavily on fish and cephalopods caught near the ocean's surface.

年齢による違い: Chicks are fed regurgitated, partially digested fish and squid until they fledge.

主な食物

Flying fish
Squid
Mackerel

採餌方法

Plunge Diving

生態系とのつながり

hunts

Tropical Two-wing Flyingfish

Exocoetus volitans

Primary prey species targeted during plunge-dives.

competitor

Great Frigatebird

Fregata minor

Often steals caught food from tropicbirds in mid-air via kleptoparasitism.

eaten by

Black Rat

Rattus rattus

Invasive predator that attacks ground nests and eats chicks.

特徴

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別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

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安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdを見分けるには？

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdの長さは何ですか？

90-105 cm

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdの翼開長は何ですか？

100-120 cm

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdの体重は何ですか？

0.6-0.85 kg

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdの寿命は何ですか？

15-20 年

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdのtop Speedは何ですか？

45 km/h

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdは何を食べますか？

The Red-tailed Tropicbird is a marine predator that feeds heavily on fish and cephalopods caught near the ocean's surface.

Red-Tailed Tropicbirdは通常どこに生息していますか？

Exclusively marine and pelagic, they spend most of their lives over warm tropical oceanic waters, coming ashore only to nest on remote coral atolls and volcanic islands.