Phaethon
Sign in to saveTropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years, they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicate they are most closely related to the Eurypygiformes. There are three species in one genus, Phaethon. The scientific names are derived from Ancient Greek phaethon, "sun". They have predominantly white plumage with elongated tail feathers and small feeble legs and feet.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassAves
- OrderPhaethontiformes
- FamilyPhaethontidae
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy, systematics and evolution
- Extant species
- Description
- Behaviour and ecology
- References
- External links
Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic seabirds. They are the sole living representatives of the order Phaethontiformes. For many years, they were considered part of the Pelecaniformes, but genetics indicate they are most closely related to the Eurypygiformes. There are three species in one genus, Phaethon. The scientific names are derived from Ancient Greek phaethon, "sun". They have predominantly white plumage with elongated tail feathers and small feeble legs and feet.
==Taxonomy, systematics and evolution== The genus Phaethon was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The name is from Ancient Greek phaethōn meaning 'sun'. The type species was designated as the red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) by George Robert Gray in 1840.