Tropicbirds: Phaethontidae - Behavior And Reproduction

BEHAVIOR AND REPRODUCTION

Tropicbirds spend more time at sea than other birds in their group, which includes frigatebirds (FRIGG-it-birdz), gannets, boobies, cormorants, and pelicans. They tend to stay far away from their breeding islands, flying above the water or sitting on it, unless they are courting or nesting. They usually nest on ledges of cliffs on islands. Sometimes they crawl into holes in rocky cliffs. They may also nest in trees or on the ground under bushes that protect them from sun and rain. Ground nests are usually part of a colony, a group of seabirds nesting close together. They lay only one egg. Both parents feed and care for the chick until it is ready to fly in eleven to fifteen weeks.