Animalia Life

Phaethon lepturus
TAXONOMY
Phaeton lepturus Daudin, 1802, Mauritius.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Golden bosunbird, yellow-billed tropicbird; French: Phaйton а bec jaune; German: WeiЯchwanz-Tropikvogel; Spanish: Rabijunco Menor. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Adult body length (including streamers) is 29 in (74 cm), wingspan 37 in (94 cm), and weight 11 oz (0.30 kg). The overall body color is white, with black markings on the upper wings, a black eye-stripe, and a reddish (rarely yellow) bill. Juveniles have a pale-cream bill.
DISTRIBUTION
Tropical and warm-temperate oceans of the world.
HABITAT
Tropical and warm-temperate oceans of the world, especially in coastal waters.
BEHAVIOR
An excellent flier that commonly feeds by shallow plunge-dives and by catching flying-fish on the wing. They have a rattling call in flight, and seldom glide.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Small fish, squid, and larger marine invertebrates, which are caught above, at, or just under the water surface. Tends to feed closer to shore than other species of tropicbirds.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds on remote tropical islands. A single egg is laid and incubated by both adults. Chicks have white, buff-gray, or bluegray down. Fledging in 70–85 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.

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