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Tropicbirds: Phaethontidae

Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Tropicbirds And People, White-tailed Tropicbird (phaethon Lepturus): Species AccountGEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, CONSERVATION STATUS



WHITE-TAILED TROPICBIRD (Phaethon lepturus): SPECIES ACCOUNT

Tropicbirds live in warm, tropical waters and breed on islands all across the oceans.


Tropicbirds build their nests on tropical islands. When they are not nesting, they fly over the ocean and rest on the water.


Flying fish are the main food of tropicbirds. They also feed on other kinds of fish and squid. They can catch flying fish in the air or fly into the water and catch prey near the surface. They usually search for food alone or in pairs, but they may also join large flocks of other seabirds.



On some islands, tropicbirds have lost their nesting habitat. Other birds get caught in big fishing nets at sea. Tropicbirds are sometimes harmed by oil spills because they spend so much time on the ocean. However tropicbirds are plentiful enough that they are not in danger of extinction, dying out.

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Animal Life ResourceBirds