Image: Red Tailed Tropic Bird

Description: Red-Tailed Tropic (Bosun) Bird on Midway Atoll taken April 1, 2001 by me, Gary B. Edstrom, and released to the public domain. These birds are unable to walk normally because they have no bones in their legs, just cartelage. They just sort of wobble along. They build their nest on the ground as do the Laison Albatross. If you get too close to them, their feathers turn a pinkish color and they let out with the most obnoxious screech you can imagine. Not seen in this picture is their very long, bright red ploom of a tail feather from which they get their name. They drag this ploom through the ocean while flying backwards, with another Bosun bird following to snatch any fish attracted by the red ploom. Should a Bosun Bird lose its red ploom, no other Bosun Bird will team up to fish with it, and the one without the red ploom will surely die from stavation.
Title: Red Tailed Tropic Bird
Credit: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Smooth_O using CommonsHelper.
Author: Gedstrom at English Wikipedia
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No