Red-tailed Tropicbird

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status B: breeding visitor. 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 rubricauda

Common names

Red-tailed Tropicbird

Family

Phaethontidae

Order

Phaethontiformes

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Kauaʻi documented: breeding visitor (2017 island checklist)

Origin

Indigenous

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 · Offshore waters and islands · Cliffs

Food and resource needs

Primarily flyingfish in Hawaii, also squid, mackerel scad, dolphinfish, sunfish, and balloonfish

Reproduction

Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.

Shelter

Shelter and structure within shorelines, offshore waters and islands, cliffs.

Threats and conservation

Threats

Introduced predators and colony disturbance, with nesting security depending on islet/cliff access and vegetation structure

Conservation actions

Protect cliffs and offshore islets, maintain predator-free or predator-controlled colony sites, and retain colony monitoring at Kilauea/Lehua areas

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

Hawaiian Breeding Species Kauai Colony Context

Seasonal description

Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) is recorded as a breeding visitor 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://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/koaeula/
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/lehua/
• https://www.usgs.gov/data/population-estimates-selected-breeding-seabirds-kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge-kauai
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/sanctuaries/kaua%CA%BBi-offshore-islets-seabird-sanctuaries/
• https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm

Explore field guides

• Kauaʻi Birds