Relationship with humans[edit]

The red-tailed tropicbird's tail streamers were highly prized by the Maori. The Ngāpuhi tribe of the
Northland Region would look for and collect them off dead or stray birds blown ashore after
easterly gales, trading them for greenstone with tribes from the south.[47] English naturalist
Andrew Bloxam reported that the feathers were valued in Hawaii, where the locals would pull
them off the birds as they nested.[48]

Status[edit]

Being swarmed by yellow crazy ants, Johnston Atoll

The red-tailed tropicbird is classified as a least-concern species according to the IUCN on

account of its large range of up to 20 thousand square kilometres (7,700 sq mi).[1] The population
in the eastern Pacific has been estimated to be as high as 80,000 birds with a minimum of
41,000 birds.[49] Around 9,000 birds breed on Europa Island,[50] and 9,000–12,000 breed on the
Hawaiian islands.[15] Human presence generally affects the species adversely, by the destruction
of habitat or introduction of pests.[23] Within Australia, it is classified as near threatened, due to
unexpected declines in some populations, the impact of humans, and the yellow crazy ant
overrunning Christmas Island.[51] It is listed as vulnerable in New South Wales.[52]
Predators recorded in Western Australia include large raptors such as the white-bellied sea eagle
(Haliaeetus leucogaster) and the eastern osprey (Pandion cristatus); while silver gulls, and crows
and ravens (Corvus spp.) raid nests for eggs and young.[21] Vagrant red-billed tropicbirds (P.
aethereus) have been implicated in egg loss of nests in Hawaii.[24] Feral dogs and cats prey on
nesting birds on Christmas Island,[21] while feral cats are a severe problem on Norfolk Island.[21]
Rats have been a serious problem on Kure Atoll, causing heavy losses.[29] Yellow crazy ants were
discovered on Johnston Atoll in the north Pacific Ocean in 2010, hordes of which overrun nesting
areas and can blind victims with their spray.[53]
Also on Johnston Atoll, the Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) was
burning stockpiled chemical weapons until 2000. It was studied over eight years to see if there
were effects from potential contaminants. There appeared to be no impact on survival during the
study period, although young birds from downwind of the plant were less likely to return there
than those upwind of the plant—possibly due to the more intact vegetation at the latter site.[54]