Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii)
The blue-footed booby appeared on my screen recently, so I had to investigate it.
The name booby derives from bobo, the Spanish word for clown because, like many seabirds, the booby is ungainly on land. Bobo also means foolish, because the bird shows no fear of man, a potential threat.
It is found along the coast from California to Peru and especially in the Galapagos Islands. It comes ashore to mate, lay eggs and rear its young.
An adult booby is almost three feet long with a wingspan of five feet, and may live for seventeen years. The blue colouration of their feet is provided through their fishy diet and indicates their overall health. The brighter the colour, the healthier and stronger the bird.
Young birds have paler blue feet than adults and females have the most concentrated hue. The feet are important in the mating rituals. Males look for females with bright feet because they indicate youth. good health, and fertility. Females favour younger males, who have brighter feet. As birds age, so the colour of their feet fades.
The mating dance involves both sexes, the male displaying his feet with an exaggerated gait of wider and higher step, while male and female lift their beaks skywards and spread their wings.
After the clutch of two or three eggs is laid on bare ground, both parents take turns to incubate the eggs, using their feet to keep them warm.
There are three recognised collective nouns for boobies – a hatch, a trap, or a congress.
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the blue-footed booby as being of ‘least concern.’
The blue footed booby is the most extraordinary bird, colour wise. Beautiful but unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting bird....one I have never heard of, but so unique! They seem to be fascinating birds.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if people assume they're ai. They're such unlikely looking birds.
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed quite amazing birds.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of these but never bothered to look them up. I had no idea they were so large! I love the feet, it's my favourite shade of blue. They do look like they all followed each other through a puddle of paint though.
ReplyDeleteI’ve some across them before but didn’t realize that they were so large.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely birds. Lovely coloured feet and I like their mating story. I've never heard of them before
ReplyDeleteWhen you first look at their feet they look like they have stepped into blue paint, I just wonder if the Booby sees the same. Their tameness is a bit like the extinct Dodo.
ReplyDeleteNature never ceases to amaze. Such a lovely colour!
ReplyDeleteI have heard of them, it's a name you remember, but never seen one before.
ReplyDeleteI rarely take my socks off because my feet glow bright blue. They call me the booby prize.
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