Blue-Footed Booby
These comically named seabirds are found along the Pacific coasts of Central and South America, as well as the Galapagos Islands.
Class: Aves
Order: Suliformes
Family: Sulidae
Genus: Sula
Species: S. nebouxii
Common Names: Blue-footed Booby
Blue-footed boobies prey mostly on fish, including sardines, mackerel, and flying fish. Their hunting behavior includes spotting fish from the air and diving into the water to snatch them in their beaks. They can dive from heights as high as 100 feet, and can swim up to 80 feet below the surface in pursuit of prey.
They are found in the tropical waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Mexico and South America, as well as the Galapagos Islands. Rarely, they can be found in southern California.
The blue-footed booby male performs an elaborate mating ritual to impress females. In order to show off his feet, the male will engage in a dancing behavior, lifting his feet, strutting, and pointing his face upward with his wings and tail raised (this behavior is known as “sky-pointing”).
The female will lay two to three eggs, which the male and female will take turns incubating. Once the chicks hatch, they will be raised by both parents.
Blue-footed boobies are fairly large seabirds that can measure almost three feet long, with a wingspan up to five feet.
Their backs and wings are brown, and their underparts are white. Their heads are white with brown streaks, and their faces and beaks are gray-blue. Their distinctive feet – which give them their common name – are bright blue.
The word “booby” has its roots in the Spanish word “bobo” which means “foolish”. This refers to the bird’s clumsy behavior on land, as well as its lack of fear of humans.
Blue-footed boobies are a species of Least Concern. However, their population on the Galapagos Islands is falling. It is thought that due to the population decline of preferred food species, such as sardines, the boobies aren’t getting enough nourishment to attempt breeding.