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ID tip
The booby's head and upper body (back) is covered in dark brown to blackish plumage, with the remainder (belly) being a contrasting white. The bare-part colours vary geographically, but not seasonally. The species also displays sexual dimorphism of the bare part colours, the males having a blue orbital ring, as opposed to the yellow orbital ring of the female. Female boobies reach about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length; their wingspans measure up to 150 cm (4.9 ft), and they can weigh up to 1,300 g (2.9 lb).
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Brown Booby
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Brown Booby
The map shades 100 countries with regular records, and 8 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Sweden, France, South Africa, India, Denmark, South Korea, Mayotte.
About the Brown Booby
The brown booby is a large seabird in the booby and gannet family Sulidae, of which it is one of the most common and widespread species. It has a pantropical range, which overlaps with that of other booby species. The gregarious brown booby commutes and forages at low height over inshore waters. Flocks plunge-dive to take small fish, especially when these are driven near the surface by their predators. They nest only on the ground, and roost on solid objects rather than the water surface.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Side by side: Brown Booby vs Peruvian Booby · Blue-footed Booby vs Brown Booby · Brown Booby vs Red-footed Booby · Brown Booby vs Masked Booby
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