Red-billed Tropicbird

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status V: vagrant. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name

Phaethon aethereus

Common names

Red-billed Tropicbird

Family

Phaethontidae

Order

Phaethontiformes

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Kauaʻi documented: vagrant (2017 island checklist)

Origin

Indigenous visitor

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-13

Evidence limits

Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Shorelines · Coastal habitat · Offshore waters and islands · Cliffs

Food and resource needs

Food and resources may include marine prey such as fish, squid, crustaceans, areas schooling prey, carrion, or kleptoparasitic food pathways depending on the seabird role

Reproduction

Breeding on Kauaʻi is not established; seasonal resting and foraging habitat may be relevant.

Shelter

Shelter and structure within shorelines, coastal habitat, offshore waters and islands.

Threats and conservation

Threats

Light attraction, fallout, predators, fisheries/prey availability, marine debris, disease, and rare-record review are open questions

Conservation actions

Document date, place, observer, habitat, and supporting media · Confirm identification and Kauaʻi occurrence before local conservation use

Monitoring

Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.

Data gaps

Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Rare Or Unresolved Hawaiian Pelagic Record Needs Kauai Review

Seasonal description

Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) is recorded as a vagrant on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

• https://westernfieldornithologists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Hawaiian_Islands_Bird_Checklist-Jan-2019.pdf
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/sanctuaries/kaua%CA%BBi-offshore-islets-seabird-sanctuaries/
• https://kauaiseabirdproject.org/other-seabirds/
• https://kauaiseabirdproject.org/threats-to-seabirds/
• https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm

Explore field guides

• Kauaʻi Birds