Red-billed Tropicbird

Phaethon aethereus Linnaeus, 1758 (0, 5)

Photo © Nicolas Völcker / Wikimedia Commons

STATUS

Southern Atlantic and Carribean. Polytypic.

OVERVIEW

A photo of an individual taken from a vessel at sea and posted on the internet was the first sighting for Britain. No real pattern of sightings is emerging apart from they are all in the south-west.

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BBRC RECORDS

1). 2001 Isles of Scilly Sea area Sole, sailing vessel Marg a Rita, 49°38'N 06°08'W, about 32 km SSE of Scilly, adult, 7th June, photo.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 95: 480, plate 282; S. Blamire, British Birds 97: 231-237, plates 133-135; Birdwatch 111: 50-51, photo; Birding World 15 (8): 352, photo; BOURC (2003), Ibis 145: 178-183; Flood, Hudson & Thomas, 2007: plate 22).

2). 2002 Isles of Scilly Sea area Sole, MV Scillonian III, about 6.5 km E of Scilly, 29th March.

(J. Robson, Birding World 15 (3): 90, photo; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 549).

3). 2002 Cornwall About 1.5 km off The Lizard, adult, 21st April.

(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 96: 549).

4). 2013 Cornwall Pendeen Watch, 18th August, photo.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 591, plates 248 & 283).

5). 2015 Cornwall Gwennap Head, Porthgwarra, 2CY+, 28th August.

(N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 109: 576).