Evidence found
658 records across 39 countries and territories, 1860–2026.
Phaethon lepturus · GBIF taxon key 2481364
Where has the White-tailed Tropicbird been recorded?
Phaethon lepturus occurrence evidence comes from 658 records in 39 countries and territories, from 1860 to 2026. Most records come from United States.
- 658 records
- 39 places
- 78 years recorded
- Aves class
Observation evidence passport
Source coverage
CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.
Refreshed 2026-09-23. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.
What this means
The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: August.
12 months reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.
What this does not mean
repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.
A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: August. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
18602026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where White-tailed Tropicbird has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for White-tailed Tropicbird. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 261 | |
| Christmas Island | 77 | |
| Brazil | 32 | |
| Bermuda | 31 | |
| ZZ | 25 | |
| Samoa | 24 | |
| Mauritius | 22 | |
| Puerto Rico | 21 | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | 20 | |
| Bahamas | 19 | |
| Saint Helena | 18 | |
| Seychelles | 9 | |
| American Samoa | 7 | |
| São Tomé & Príncipe | 7 | |
| Micronesia | 5 | |
| Palau | 5 | |
| Réunion | 5 | |
| Tokelau | 5 | |
| Australia | 4 | |
| Kiribati | 3 | |
| French Polynesia | 3 | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 3 | |
| Angola | 2 | |
| Cook Islands | 2 | |
| Dominica | 2 | |
| Indonesia | 2 | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 2 | |
| Canada | 1 | |
| Cocos Islands | 1 | |
| Dominican Republic | 1 | |
| Fiji | 1 | |
| Madagascar | 1 | |
| Marshall Islands | 1 | |
| Mozambique | 1 | |
| Norfolk Island | 1 | |
| Tonga | 1 | |
| Vanuatu | 1 | |
| Wallis & Futuna | 1 | |
| Mayotte | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Phaethontidae.
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.