Golden Morph White-tailed Tropicbird recorded from the Azores:

[David James <>]

Golden colouration in White-tailed tropicbirds is definately not confined to 
Christmas Island. It is more frequent there and is expressed more strongly in 
the most coloured individuals. See Le Corre & Jouventin (1999: Ibis 141, 233-9 
'Geographical variation in the White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, with 
the description of a new subspecies endemic to Europa Island, southern 
Mozambique Channel'). 
 
They found traces of golden plumage in 5 subspecies, including P. l. catesbyi 
and P.l ascensionis in the Atlantic.  

David James, 
Sydney

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________________________________
From: Dimitris Bertzeletos <>
To: 
Sent: Monday, 17 October 2011 4:02 PM
Subject: Golden Morph White-tailed Tropicbird recorded from the Azores:


See here:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=213791

and a direct link to some surbird pictures of the bird:

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20111015033016.jpg

http://www.surfbirds.com/media/gallery_photos/20111015030957.jpg

So either a very lost bird or the golden form is not endemic to Christmas 
Island...

Cheers,

D.
                        
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