CIBED - - Red-tailed Tropicbird

Phaethon rubricauda Red-tailed Tropicbird Tavake ^RR

f.PHAETHONTIDAE Tropicbirds

Phaethon rubricauda Red-tailed Tropicbird Tavake ^RR

f.PHAETHONTIDAE Tropicbirds

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesRed‑tailed Tropicbird ^EN Bo'sun‑bird ^EN Marlinspike‑bird ^EN Rotschwanz‑Tropikvogel ^DE

Local NamesTavake^{RR,MG,AT,MK,MT,AK,PL,TNs,TNw,MH,RK} Bosun Bird^PL Whitebird^TNw Tavake Toto^PK,NS

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesPhaethon rubricauda (accepted name) , Phaeton rubricauda, Phaëthon rubricauda

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, c.Birds, f.Tropicbirds - Bird

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.TETRAPODA, c.AVES, sc.NEOGNATHAE, o.Phaethontiformes, f.PHAETHONTIDAE

Natl. PresencePresentOceanic^P?

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺MG⁺AT^{+ V}MK^{+ V}MT^{+ V}AK⁺PL⁺⁺⁺⁺MN⁺⁺TK⁺⁺⁺⁺

Nth. PresenceTN⁺⁺MH⁺⁺RK^P?PK⁺⁺NS^P?SW⁺⁺⁺⁺

VouchersPK²⁰⁰⁴

Local OriginNative; Resident

Global RangeNative: Indian Ocean - Pacific Ocean (on islands);

HabitatLand - Lowlands - Coastal; Uplands - Slope Zone; Aquatic - Marine - Oceanic

ThreatenedSub-nationally endangered - seriously

InvasivenessNo Content

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesFlesh food

IdentificationNo Content

Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 4
Video: 0
Audio: 2
Documents: 0
Contribute Multimedia

5BD014_Phae-rubr_

Click on a thumbnail to see the full image and image details.

Adult in flight

Adults and nestling in nest

Adult showing black on wing feathers

Similar species: illustration, Tavake & Räkoa

Click on a thumbnail to see the item and item details.

Click on a thumbnail to hear the item and see item details.

Calls (1) (McPherson coll.)

Calls (2) (McPherson coll.)

Click on a thumbnail to see the item and item details.

Adult in flight (jpg)
Adults and nestling in nest (jpg)
Adult showing black on wing feathers (jpg)
Similar species: illustration, Tavake & Räkoa (jpg)
Calls (1) (McPherson coll.) (mp3)
Calls (2) (McPherson coll.) (mp3)

Contribute

Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Red-tailed Tropicbird ^EN Bo'sun-bird^EN Marlinspike-bird^EN Rotschwanz-Tropikvogel^DE

Notes: from Boatswain's-bird as tail feathers resemble marlinspike of Boatswain on sailing ships

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

Tavake^{RR,MG,AT,MK,MT,AK,PL,TNs,TNw,MH,RK} Bosun Bird^PL Whitebird^TNw Tavake Toto^PK,NS

National Name: Tavake ^RR

Notes: Palmerston - the 1949 Laws use "bosun birds", while the early sailors name is usually Bo'sun-birds a slang for Boatswain's-bird, because the bird has the marlin-spike of the Boatswain in its tail.

Island	Status	Main name	Growth stage names
National name	RR	Tavake
Rarotonga	+++	Tavake
Mangaia	+	Tavake
Ātiu	+ V	Tavake	Mariri [juvenile] / Tavake [adult]
Ma‘uke	+ V	Tavake
Miti‘āro	+ V	Tavake
Aitutaki	+	Tavake
Palmerston	++++	Bosun Bird / Tavake
Tongareva-write	++	Tavake / Whitebird
Tongareva-speak	++	Tavake
Manihiki	++	Tavake
Rakahanga	P?	Tavake
Pukapuka	++	Tavake Toto
Nassau	P?	Tavake Toto

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Present ?

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	+++
Mangaia	+
Ātiu	+ V
Ma‘uke	+ V
Miti‘āro	+ V
Aitutaki	+
Palmerston	++++
Manuae	++
Takūtea	++++
Tongareva	++
Manihiki	++
Rakahanga	Present ?
Pukapuka	++
Nassau	Present ?
Suwarrow	++++

Vouchers for:
Phaethon rubricauda

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga

Mangaia

Ātiu

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka _____ 2004 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 2/2004, G.McCormack with ID as Phaethon rubricauda.

Nassau

Suwarrow

no data available

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

no data available

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.03.23 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
Please refer to our use policy.

Saved Species X of 20

Save Species

-->

Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Phaethon rubricauda

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

You have unsaved changes!

Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Phaethon rubricauda

Citation Information

You have unsaved changes!

Vouchers for:
Phaethon rubricauda