Red-footed Booby

Overview

The red-footed booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird belonging to the booby family, Sulidae. As the smallest member of the booby and gannet family, it is a powerful and agile flyer that forages over tropical oceans. Although its population is declining due to climate change and human disturbance, it is currently classified as a species of least concern.

Identification

• Size: Approximately 70 cm in length with a wingspan up to 152 cm; the smallest of the booby and gannet family.
• Plumage: Displays several morphs, including a white morph (mostly white with black flight feathers), a brown morph (overall brown), and a white-tailed brown morph (white belly, rump, and tail).
• Features: Always has red legs, with a bill and throat pouch coloured pink and blue.
• Song: Males perform greeting rituals that include harsh squawks and the display of their blue throat.

Habitat

Widespread throughout the tropics of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, with specific populations in the Caribbean, Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, and the Indian Ocean islands. The species breeds colonially in coastal regions, particularly on isolated islands such as St. Brandon, the Seychelles, and the Chagos Archipelago. When not breeding, the bird spends most of its time at sea.

Diet

The diet consists mostly of fish, such as flying fish and escolars, as well as squid. They generally catch prey by diving vertically into the ocean from heights of 4 to 8 m, though flying fish may be caught while the bird is in the air. Red-footed boobies travel hundreds of kilometres from land when foraging and sometimes engage in multi-day trips.

Did you know?

On the Galápagos Islands, red-footed boobies will not nest on islands inhabited by the Galápagos hawk, even when conditions are otherwise suitable, but have been observed colonising those islands soon after the hawk is removed. Their breeding on remote islands appears to be an adaptation to avoid predation.