Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds) Instrument 2022
52Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds
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52 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds
Major benefits to other migratory species, marine species, species of cetacean or conservation dependent species
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Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 53
Chapter 11 Species profilesRed-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)
TABLE Species information for the Table Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)
The Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) is a medium sized, oceanic, Indo-Pacific Ocean seabird. Adults are mainly white with bright red bill and very long central rectrices. Sexes are similar with no seasonal plumage changes. At sea, the species is solitary, flying mostly well above the waves with regular, mechanical wing-beats alternating with horizontal glides. The species breeds in tropical and subtropical zones on volcanic and other islands, stacks, atolls, cays away from mainland areas. Nests are located in rugged terrain, on coastal cliffs and slopes but also on cays, at the base of trees with dense leaf canopy that reaches the ground, and coral atolls. Most food is captured by deep plunging vertically into the water. Their diet mainly consists of fish and cephalopods. Movements away from the breeding site are not well known but adults and juveniles appear to disperse widely.
The global population is estimated at >32,000 individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1992). The Australian population is poorly known owing to the numerous breeding sites and protracted and asynchronous breeding season making an accurate census difficult. The largest population breeds on Christmas Island (>2,000 pairs) with additional key breeding locations on Cocos (Keeling) Group, islands of Ashmore Reef Marine Park, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Coral Sea Marine Park and two known islands and cays in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Herald Cays (Coral Sea Marine Park) support a population in excess of 500 breeding pairs and is the most important breeding site for this species in Eastern Australia (Baker 2008). The population of Red-tailed Tropicbirds on Raine Island, Queensland has increased on average, by approximately 1.4 per cent per year since 1980 (GBRMPA 2019). The national population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.