Blue-footed-Booby

Sula nebouxii

The Blue-footed-Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a striking marine bird belonging to the family Sulidae, easily recognized by its vivid blue feet. These blue feet, derived from their diet, play a crucial role in their unique mating rituals.

Dear Lykkers, the females are slightly larger than the males, measuring up to 90 cm in length with an impressive wingspan of 1.5 meters.

Identification Tips

Physical Characteristics

Adults feature long, pointed brown wings, a light brown neck and head adorned with white streaks, and a pure white underbelly. Their yellow eyes are especially vivid in males. Chicks are covered in soft white down, with black beaks and feet.

Subspecies

The subspecies S. n. excisa, found in the Galápagos Islands, is notably larger and exhibits lighter plumage around the neck and head.

Habitat

The Blue-footed-Booby thrives in tropical and subtropical islands across the Pacific Ocean. It typically nests in large colonies on bare black lava, a characteristic of its natural breeding grounds.

Distribution

This species is distributed from the Gulf of California along the western coasts of Central and South America down to Peru. Notably, nearly half of all breeding pairs nest on the Galápagos Islands.

Blue footed Booby | Blue Feet Made For Dancing!

Video by All Things Birdie

Behaviour

Mating Rituals

Famous for their elaborate mating dance, males showcase their blue feet by strutting and performing intricate movements to attract females.

Breeding Patterns

Blue-footed-Boobies are monogamous, sometimes bigamous, and opportunistic breeders, with breeding cycles occurring every 8 to 9 months.

Song & Calls

These birds communicate with a combination of raucous grunts, shouts, and thin whistles. Mated pairs uniquely identify each other through distinctive calls.

Breeding

Courtship Displays

Males perform a dance during courtship, which includes a notable "sky-pointing" gesture.

Egg Laying and Incubation

Females lay 2–3 eggs, incubated by both parents using their feet to provide warmth. The incubation period lasts 41–45 days.

Similar Species

The Peruvian-Booby (Sula variegata) resembles the Blue-footed-Booby but has distinguishing features such as grey feet, a whiter head and neck, and white spots on its wing coverts.

Diet and Feeding

Blue-footed-Boobies primarily feed on fish like sardines and anchovies. They hunt by diving from great heights or swimming underwater, often foraging alone or in groups during early morning or late afternoon.

Conservation Status

The Blue-footed-Booby is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, populations, especially in the Galápagos Islands, have shown declines, likely due to reduced availability of sardines, a crucial part of their diet.