Bird GuideTropicbirdsRed-billed Tropicbird
Red-billed Tropicbird
Phaethon aethereus

At a Glance

The only tropicbird likely to be seen off the California coast, but rare even there; sometimes seen on boat trips to the southern Channel Islands. Common in parts of the Caribbean, the Red-billed Tropicbird very rarely strays to waters off Florida or elsewhere in the east.
Category
Gull-like Birds, Tropicbirds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Open Ocean
Region
California, Southeast
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Rapid Wingbeats, Swimming
Population
8.200

Range & Identification

Description

40" (1 m), including tail feathers. W. 3'8 (1.1 m). White with long tail streamers (sometimes missing), black barring on back, red bill. Lacks black wing stripe of White-tailed Tropicbird, and has more black on wingtip. Royal Tern is sometimes mistaken for a tropicbird.
Size
About the size of a Heron, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull
Color
Black, Orange, Red, White
Wing Shape
Long, Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Long, Pointed, Short, Wedge-shaped

Songs and Calls

A loud rattling call given in flight.
Call Pattern
Flat
Call Type
Rattle, Raucous, Scream

Conservation

Conservation Status