Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)

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  Diko G W

• May 11, 2011

Three superb posts great work TFS

 

Staff member

Opus Editor

Supporter

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  delia todd

• May 11, 2011

These three great flight shots of your tropicbird, have just about doubled the number of pictures in the Gallery Tetoneon.

Very well done.

D (now I'll have to go look up your lighthouse)

 

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  mali

• May 11, 2011

Three super captures of a great looking bird, congrats on a fine find.

 

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  ChrisKten

• May 11, 2011

Great setting for this, Tetoneon; and I've only just realised that it's a rarity (I'm not a "birder", so things like this happen often|=)|), very well done.

 

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  ken1940golf

• May 11, 2011

Superb images of this rare bird Tetoneon!! great idea to include the lighthouse mate, :t::t::t:

 

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  ammadoux

• May 11, 2011

this is so beautiful.

 

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  carann

• May 11, 2011

Three very beautiful images - thanks for sharing.

 

Supporter

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  Stanley Jones

• May 11, 2011

Red-billed Tropicbird. Other pictures show the bright red bill. This one clearly shows the wing patterns for Red-billed opposed to a White-tailed. Excellent capture and three brilliant captures, including the famous Hatteras Lighthouse! Cheers!

 

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  tetoneon

• May 11, 2011

I think you're correct Stanley but what is confusing is that dark bar on the back of the wing whch would suggest a white-tailed. The white-tailed adult does have a dark orange bill. The red-billed has a back that is only mottled. I do have four additional pix, some of which also show a light bar, but all the photo's I've seen show that bar being very black. Maybe the bar gets blacker with age? Also, not much is known about the moulting of these birds. Anyone else have any ideas?

 

Opus Editor

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  sbarnhardt

• Jul 7, 2020

This picture has been utilized on the Outer Banks and Lake Mattamuskeet location article on Opus.

Many thanks, and credit, to tetoneon for the use of the picture.