The long white tail streamers are visible from a great distance.
Not listed
Indigenous: White-Tailed Bos'n-Bird, Golden Bosun-Bird, White-Tailed Tropic-Bird
At a glance
FamilyTropicbirds
SizeLarge
RarityUncommon
HabitatMarine and coastal; usually found over open ocean, offshore waters, islands, headlands, and other coastal areas.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from January to February.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Dries Van de Loock
Range map
Range map
89approx hotspots
1957approx records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Often seen flying over canyons and along cliffs. Calls are loud clucks and squawks. Smaller and more graceful in flight than Red-tailed Tropicbird.
Behavior
Nests on coastal and inland cliffs on the main islands. At sea usually flies high above the water.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales
Victoria
Western Australia
Northern Territory