Evidence of Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Breeding in the Gulf of Guinea

Authors

Gustavo Marino, Departamento de Biologia da Universidade de Évora
Gabriel Oquiongo, Associação Monte Pico, Monte Café, São Tomé and Príncipe
Isadora L. Hahn, Rua Major Serpa Pinto
Pedro Pereira, Pólo da Mitra
Joana Pereira, BirdLife International
Ricardo F. de Lima, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa

Abstract

Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus has been considered vagrant in the Gulf of Guinea, although with suggestions of sporadic breeding at Tinhosas Islets, south of Príncipe Island. Here, we report repeated visits of birds to potential nesting sites, aggressive territorial behavior, and pair interactions on the coastal cliffs in the southern portion of São Tomé Island and nearby islets of Rolas and Sete Pedras. These observations strongly suggest that the species breeds at these locations, which would expand the known breeding range in the eastern Atlantic. Future work is needed to clarify the status of the species in the region.

DOI

http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1662

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Recommended Citation

Marino, Gustavo; Oquiongo, Gabriel; Hahn, Isadora L.; Pereira, Pedro; Pereira, Joana; and de Lima, Ricardo F. (2025) "Evidence of Red-Billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Breeding in the Gulf of Guinea," Marine Ornithology: Vol. 53 : Iss. 2 , Article 32.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1662
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/marine_ornithology/vol53/iss2/32