The Red-billed Tropic-bird 



THE WORD Flamingo has so impressed itself upon the popular 

 attention that every big bird of a ruddy, not to say lurid, complexion, 

 reported in from our extreme southeastern border, comes to us as a "sure 

 enough Flamingo." The Flamingo proper, which is chiefly confined to the 

 coasts bordering upon middle American oceans, has little upon our friend, 

 Ajaja, from the west coast of Mexico, either in beauty of plumage or in 

 eccentricity of appearance, especially that of the beak; but when we re- 

 call that Phamicopterus is also a lamellirostral grallator of the Order 

 Odontoglossce, it is time for us to admit our presumption, and to beat a 

 hasty retreat. J a! J a! Ajaja ajaja is nothing but a Spoonbill. 



If we could actually control our silly desire to kill something, there 

 is no reason why these really splendid birds, which occasionally wander 

 north from their breeding grounds near Guaymas, should not be led to 

 accept our hospitality, and to establish themselves permanently in the 

 Colorado Valley. But no; they are big and beautiful. Bang! Bang!! 



No. 393 



Red-billed Tropic-bird 



A. O. U. No. 112. Phaethon aethereus (Linnaeus). 



Synonyms. — Catesby's Tropic-bird. Bo's'n-bird. Marlin-spike. 



Description. — Adult: "General color white; a black band bordering the sides 

 of the head passes through the eye and terminates in a crescent-shaped mark above the 

 gape; back and sides of the neck, back, rump, upper tail-coverts, scapulars, and most 

 of the lesser and median wing-coverts barred with black; the five outermost primaries 

 with the outer web and part of the inner web black, only the extreme tip being white; 

 some apparently fully adult specimens have the third quill partially, and the fourth 

 and fifth entirely margined on the outer web with white; the remaining primary quills 

 with a black median stripe extending to within about an inch of the tip; outer primary 

 coverts, innermost secondaries and their coverts mostly black margined with white; 

 long flank-feathers with blotched grayish black bars; outer tail feathers with a few 

 irregular black markings near the shaft; the upper surface of the shafts black, white at 

 the extremity. Tail composed of 14 feathers. Iris black; tarsi and upper part of 

 toes yellow, rest of toes and claws black; bill bright coral-red" (Ogilvie-Grant). Length 

 762-914.4 (30.00-36.00), of which central pair of rectrices 355.6-457.2 (14.00-18.00); 

 wing about 304.8 (12.00); bill 68 (2.50); tarsus 25.4 (1.00). 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: A careless layer of grass or 

 seaweed, placed in hole or cranny of cliff or on ground in shelter of bush, or, more 

 rarely, in hollow tree. Egg: Single; white or pale vinaceous as to ground, heavily 

 sprinkled or spotted or clouded with brownish red (Hessian brown to haematite red). 

 Av. size 61 x 43 (2.40 x 1.69). Season: In general, throughout the year; but locally 

 determined and constant. 



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