WoRMS taxon details
Phaethon aethereus Linnaeus, 1758
137177 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:137177)
accepted
Species
marine, terrestrial
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors 
[request]
[request]
Description Length: (excluding streamers) 50-55 cm. Colour: adult: white with uneven black barring on back, rump and inner wing...
Distribution summer visitor of the Gulf of Maine; usually found Tropical Oceans
Description Length: (excluding streamers) 50-55 cm. Colour: adult: white with uneven black barring on back, rump and inner wing coverts, black crescent through the eye and on crown; flight feathers with outer web of primaries black, inner white, secondaries black with white tips and tertials black; tail and tail streamers white; bill red, legs and feet yellow, webs black; immature like adult but without streamers and bill pale green. Habitat: open ocean breeds on oceanic islands. [details]
Distribution summer visitor of the Gulf of Maine; usually found Tropical Oceans
Distribution summer visitor of the Gulf of Maine; usually found Tropical Oceans [details]
WoRMS (2026). Phaethon aethereus Linnaeus, 1758. Accessed at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137177 on 2026-10-01
Date
action
by
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 License
Nomenclature
original description
Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors [request]
basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
[request]basis of record van der Land, J. (2001). Tetrapoda, <B><I>in</I></B>: Costello, M.J. <i>et al.</i> (Ed.) (2001). <i>European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels,</i> 50: pp. 375-376 (look up in IMIS) [details]
Other
context source (Bermuda)
Dobson, A. F. (2002). A Birdwatching Guide to Bermuda. Arlequin Press, Chelmsford, Essex, 173 pp. [details]
context source (PeRMS) Imarpe. (2022). Informe ejecutivo del crucero 2202-04 de Evaluación Hidroacústica de Anchoveta y Otros Recursos Pelágicos, realizado entre el 15 de febrero al 09 de abril del 2022. <em>Imarpe.</em> 57p., available online at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/3084651/INFORME%20EJECUTIVO%202202-04.pdf?v=1652289648 [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Brown, L.H., E.K. Urban & K. Newman. (1982). The Birds of Africa, Volume I. <em>Academic Press, London.</em> [details]
additional source Gallardo, J. C.; Macías, V.; Velarde, E. (2009). Birds (Vertebrata: Aves) of the Gulf of Mexico. <em>In: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.</em> Pp. 1321–1342. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Peterson, R.T.; Peterson, V.M. (2002). A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. <em>Fifth Edition.</em> Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. 427 p. [details]
additional source Vanner, M. (2003). The encyclopedia of North American birds. <em>Paragon Publishing.</em> 1-383. [details]
context source (PeRMS) Imarpe. (2022). Informe ejecutivo del crucero 2202-04 de Evaluación Hidroacústica de Anchoveta y Otros Recursos Pelágicos, realizado entre el 15 de febrero al 09 de abril del 2022. <em>Imarpe.</em> 57p., available online at https://cdn.www.gob.pe/uploads/document/file/3084651/INFORME%20EJECUTIVO%202202-04.pdf?v=1652289648 [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Brown, L.H., E.K. Urban & K. Newman. (1982). The Birds of Africa, Volume I. <em>Academic Press, London.</em> [details]
additional source Gallardo, J. C.; Macías, V.; Velarde, E. (2009). Birds (Vertebrata: Aves) of the Gulf of Mexico. <em>In: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas.</em> Pp. 1321–1342. [details]
additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. <em>China Science Press.</em> 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Peterson, R.T.; Peterson, V.M. (2002). A field guide to the birds of eastern and central North America. <em>Fifth Edition.</em> Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Company. New York. 427 p. [details]
additional source Vanner, M. (2003). The encyclopedia of North American birds. <em>Paragon Publishing.</em> 1-383. [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Unreviewed
Description Length: (excluding streamers) 50-55 cm. Colour: adult: white with uneven black barring on back, rump and inner wing coverts, black crescent through the eye and on crown; flight feathers with outer web of primaries black, inner white, secondaries black with white tips and tertials black; tail and tail streamers white; bill red, legs and feet yellow, webs black; immature like adult but without streamers and bill pale green. Habitat: open ocean breeds on oceanic islands. [details]Distribution summer visitor of the Gulf of Maine; usually found Tropical Oceans [details]
| Language | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | roodsnavelkeerkringvogel | [details] |
| English | red-billed tropicbird | [details] |
| French | phaéton à bec rouge | [details] |
| German | Rotschnabel-Tropikvogel | [details] |
| Hebrew | פתון אדום-מקור | [details] |
| Lithuanian | raudonsnapis faetonas | [details] |
| Polish | faeton białosterny | [details] |
| Russian | красноклювый фаэтон | [details] |
| Spanish | rabijunco etéreo | [details] |
| Turkish | kırmızı gagalı tropik kuşu | [details] |
| Ukrainian | Фаетон | [details] |
To Barcode of Life
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (173 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Phaethon aethereus)
To GenBank (12 nucleotides; 8 proteins)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To PESI
To ITIS
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (173 publications)
To European Nucleotide Archive, ENA (Phaethon aethereus)
To GenBank (12 nucleotides; 8 proteins)
To IUCN Red List (Least Concern)
To PESI
To ITIS
From editor or global species database
Unreviewed
