A seabird that looks designed by someone who admired swallows painted one white and added a long red tail. The red-tailed tropicbird is pure white with a black eye patch. The bill is red. Two long red tail streamers trail behind in flight like ribbons. It is elegant. It is striking. It is unmistakable. The appearance is distinct. The tail streamers are the headline feature. They can be twice the length of the bird's body. In flight they flutter behind. On the ground they drag. The bird does not seem to mind the inconvenience. The streamers define its silhouette. They are its signature. Feeding involves fish and squid. The bird plunge-dives from heights of up to twenty metres. It hovers briefly before dropping. It enters the water with a splash. It emerges with prey. The technique is effective. The dive is precise. The catch is secured. Flight is buoyant and tern-like. Rapid wingbeats alternate with long glides. A red-tailed tropicbird in the air is a study in grace. It soars. It turns. It hangs in the wind. The movement is effortless. The air supports it completely. Breeding takes place on remote tropical islands. The nest is a scrape in a crevice or under a boulder. A single white egg is laid speckled with brown. Both parents share incubation duties. The chick is covered in white down. Growth is slow. The development takes time. Patience is required. In New Zealand these birds breed in the Kermadec Islands. The population is small. A few hundred pairs exist. They nest on Raoul Island and adjacent islets. The islands are predator-free. The birds are safe there. The isolation provides protection. The location is critical. Red-tailed tropicbirds are sometimes seen from the mainland. They are rare vagrants. A bird has wandered further south than usual. Birders celebrate when they find one. The sighting is notable. The occurrence is infrequent. The distance is significant. The call is a loud piercing 'kree-kree-kree'. It is often given in flight. The sound carries across the water. It is sharp. It is persistent. It marks the presence of the bird. This species is named for its tail. The tail is red. The name fits. It is descriptive. It is accurate. The identification is simple. Tāvake is the Māori name shared with the white-tailed tropicbird. Both species are known by that name. They look similar. The tail colour distinguishes them. The distinction is visual. The name remains common. The identity is split by hue.