HOORAY !
The Longtails have returned !
We heard that there have been sightings, but this morning is the first time that we have seen them.
The skies along the south shore this morning were filled with soars, swirls, dives. The air filled with clicking.
To locals, the first sign of a longtail gives us hope that the storms and north winds are close to an end.
Spring is in the air.
The White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus is commonly called the Longtail. The Bermuda population of Longtails, estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 breeding birds, is the largest in the Atlantic, making it vitally important for the continued survival of the species. (For general information about Longtails click here.)
Threats to the breeding success of the Longtail in Bermuda include predation from dogs and cats; nest site competition from feral pigeons; destruction of nest sites by human housing development on the coastline; blockage of nest sites by rubble, trash and horticultural waste dumped over cliffs; overgrowth of nest sites by invasive plants. Recent hurricanes have caused major erosion of the south shore coastal cliffs, destroying many Longtail nest cavities.
Artificial nest boxes, nicknamed ‘igloos’ for their shape, have been shown to be readily acceptable replacements for natural cliff holes. These cement-coated styrofoam nest boxes can be purchased from the Audubon Society for $120 each. Igloos can be located on level cliff tops or cliff ledges beyond reach of sea flooding, or on man-made terraces and sea-walls. They are easy and inexpensive to install, requiring only a mattock to dig a shallow depression, filled with sand for the nest, and about a bucket of cement to secure the dome and to camouflage it with a few natural slabs of limestone on the sides and top. Longtails are happy nesting close to human habitation, as long as the location is safe from predators such as dogs and cats.
More info:
White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus
Local Name: Longtail
Status: Abundant visiting breeding bird (estimated 2,000-3,000); native
Local Habitat: All around the rocky coast including inshore sounds. Nests in cliffs and man-made Longtail ‘igloos’.
Habits: Noisy aerial courtship in the spring and summer months with male flying with tail drooped just above the female. A single egg is laid in spring, hatches early summer. Most chicks fledge and depart to sea in August. Outside breeding season, Longtails spend their time on the ocean, ranging in the Sargasso Sea, eating squid and pelagic fish.