About the Blue-footed Booby
The blue-footed booby is a species of marine bird in the family Sulidae. The species is native to subtropical and tropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus Sula, commonly known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait and a product of its diet. The male displays its feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. Females are slightly larger than males and can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a wingspan up to 1.5 m (5 ft).
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ID tip
The blue-footed booby is on average 81 cm (32 in) long and weighs 1.5 kg (3+1⁄4 lb), with the female being slightly larger than the male. Its wings are long, pointed, and brown in color. The neck and head of the blue-footed booby are light brown with white streaks, while the belly and underside exhibit pure white plumage. Its eyes are placed on either side of its bill and oriented towards the front, enabling excellent binocular vision. Its eyes are a distinctive yellow, with the male having more yellow in its irises than the female.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Guatemala.
When to see it
Peak activity in July · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Red-footed BoobySula sulaThe red-footed booby is the smallest member of the booby and gannet family at about 70 cm (28 in) in length and with a wingspan of up to 152 cm (60 in).
Masked BoobySula dactylatraThe largest species of booby, the masked booby ranges from 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) long, with a 160–170 cm (63–67 in) wingspan and 1.2–2.2 kg (2.6–4.9 lb) weight.
Nazca BoobySula grantiThe species has a yellow iris, orange and pinkish beak, black facial skin in the form of a mask, and grey feet.
Learn the Blue-footed Booby for real
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