Brown Booby vs Masked Booby

Brown Booby

Sula leucogaster

Large1.3 kgMarine

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).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Virtual-Pano · CC BY 4.0

Masked Booby

Sula dactylatra

Huge1.7 kgMarine

The 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. It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with dark wings and a dark tail. The sexes have similar plumage with no seasonal variation, but females are on average slightly heavier and larger than males. The bare skin around the face, throat and lores is described either as black or blue-black.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: ImagePerson · CC BY 4.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Brown Booby and Masked Booby.