Red-tailed Tropicbird - Pitcairn


Polynesian people settled the Pitcairn Islands as early as the 11th century and had established trade with Mangareva, an island 400 kilometers away. When the Europeans arrived in 1606, the area was uninhabited. The disappearance of the Polynesian culture may have been related to the depletion of the limited natural resources. 

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Phaethon rubricauda - There are four sub-species of the red-tailed tropicbird ranging across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Juveniles have a black barred plumage on the upper sides, but adults are white with a pinkish tinge around the wing edges and eyes centered in black ovals. The tail streamers are bright red and extend 35 centimeters. The red-tailed tropicbird can remain at sea indefinitely and is only seen near coastal areas if blown off coarse by strong winds. Mostly a solitary bird, it does form colonies during the breeding season.