White-tailed Tropicbird
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Posted by Trey Mitchell on 16:32:25 07/05/06
In Reply to: Tropicbird ID (lengthy) posted by Rock Jetty
Below is a response from Peter Pyle about our tropicbird.
Hi Trey -
I think it might be a Red-billed. Two things - the bill of first-year
White-tailed is often washed dusky, so if it is a first-year bird (which I
believe it is due to the shortish central rects and black tips to the r2's) it
shouldn't be this bright yellowish. The bill of Red-billed is orangish to
yellowish without a dusky wash. Second, the black of p8 (third primary
in) extends to the tip of the feather. I have attached some images of museum
specimens that show the difference in pattern between catsebyi White-tailed and
Red-billed (for figures in the upcoming Part 2 of the Identification Guide). In
each image the upper feather is the juvenal p8 and the lower feather is of an
adult p8. Your bird seems to match Red-billed and not catesbyi (dorotheae
White-tailed, of the Pacific, has a pattern closer to Red-billed). Fell free to
post these images and comments on your page and I'd be interested in further
thoughts.
Peter Pyle
White-tailed Tropicbird
Red-billed Tropicbird
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