First record of Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) for Aruba

Abstract

Robert L. Norton encountered a Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) approximately 60 km NNW of Aruba, providing Aruba’s first record of this species. Given the pelagic distribution of this species during the non-breeding season, and nine antecedent records from Bonaire and Curaçao, additional records seem likely for Aruba, especially given an increase in reports of seabirds from cruise ships off Aruba