Editing Tropicbird (section)

{{short description|Family of birds}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Tropicbirds
| fossil_range = [[Early Eocene]] to present
| image = Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) (4089464789).jpg
| image_caption =Red-billed Tropicbird
| taxon = Phaethon
| parent_authority = [[Johann Friedrich von Brandt|Brandt]], 1840
| authority =[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| type_species = ''Phaethon aethereus'' ([[red-billed tropicbird]]) 
| type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
* ''[[Red-billed tropicbird|P. aethereus]]'' (red-billed tropicbird)
* ''[[Red-tailed tropicbird|P. rubricauda]]'' (red-tailed tropicbird)
* ''[[White-tailed tropicbird|P. lepturus]]'' (white-tailed tropicbird)
| synonyms_ref =
<ref>{{cite web | title=''Part 7- Vertebrates'' | year=2007 | website=Collection of genus-group names in a systematic arrangement | url=http://mave.tweakdsl.nl/tn/genera7.html | display-authors=etal | access-date=30 June 2017 | archive-date=5 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005114629/http://mave.tweakdsl.nl/tn/genera7.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| synonyms =
* ''Leptophaethon'' <small>Mathews 1913</small>
* ''Lepturus'' <small>Moehring 1752 nom rej.</small>
* ''Lepturus'' <small>Brisson 1760</small>
* ''Scaeophaethon'' <small>Mathews 1913</small>
* ''Phoenicurus'' <small>Bonaparte 1855 non Forster 1817</small>
* ''Tropicophilus'' <small>Stephens 1826</small>
}}

'''Tropicbirds''' are a [[family (biology)|family]], '''Phaethontidae''', of tropical [[Pelagic zone#Pelagic birds|pelagic]] [[seabird]]s. They are the sole living representatives of the order [[Phaethontiformes]]. For many years they were considered part of the [[Pelecaniformes]], but genetics indicates 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".<ref name= job90>{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher = Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 |page = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n301 301]}}</ref> They have predominantly white [[plumage]] with elongated tail feathers and small feeble legs and feet.