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Posted by Alex Harper on 17:55:26 07/05/06
In Reply to: Pelagics Off Miami, 7/3 posted by Toe
With several books spread out on the computer desk, I guess its a good idea to describe the flight styles of the two tropicbirds. We saw the bird had a flight that I described like an amazon parrot in a way. It was quick, stiff, and shallow.
A White-tailed's is described as more quick and flicking (Sibley, 2000) and faster (Bird's of Cuba, 2000)than Red-billed's. Thats kind of obvious, though.
A Red-billed's wingbeats are more "rapid, stiff, and shallow" and "unlike other tropicbirds, whose flight are more ternlike" (National Geographic, 1999).
The Red-billed has "slower and more purposeful wingbeats".
Two sources say that both the White-tailed and Red-billed's flights are pigeon-like, but the White-tailed is more tern like. I think it will help if we can find some video clip of one of the tropicbirds and compare it to the vivid memory of the tropicbird flying right over us.
Alex
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