Blue Footed Booby Facts
- The highly distinctive term of Blue Footed Booby easily serves as the most frequently used named for this eye-catching wing-wonder. There actually aren’t any other consistently used general titles for the bird. Though uncommon, that’s not entirely unknown.
- Within the scientific community, however, it’s likely better known by its technical appellation. Fortunately for the layperson, that’s a much more pronounceable tag than most such designations. That’s because it holds the official epithet Sula nebouxii.
- The intriguing animal received that tag due to the efforts of Alphonse Milne-Edwards. The respected French ornithologist accomplished the first recognition of it as a separate and distinct species. He achieved that scientifically noteworthy deed in 1882.
- It’s worth noting, though, that researchers currently recognize a total of two subspecies of this avian. Originally believed to be a single species, science later separated the original, single species into two groups. This division took place in the year 1948.
- Thankfully, the unusual Blue Footed Booby seems to be maintaining a population base that’s both stable and sufficient. That pleasant state also appears to hold true across the entirety of its range. The IUCN thus presently list the bird as Least Concern.
- It nevertheless still faces the same potential threats to its continued existence as all forms of life on the earth today. Most of those perils stem from the actions of mankind. Among them are the related dangers of habitat loss and ongoing climate change.
Related Articles
Blue Footed Booby Physical Description
The truly interesting Blue Footed Booby also displays sexual dimorphism in two ways. Firstly, the blue coloring of the feet develops much brighter on the males. Secondly, the females also grow slightly larger in size.
In addition, an overall average wingspan for this seabird is about 32 in (81 cm). However, exceptional individuals sometimes grow larger. Further, the wings of some individuals also grow highly pointed in shape.
Also, the majority of the body primarily appears white. However, the neck and head typically have light brown or tan streaks. Yet the wings generally show various shades of brown.
Finally, another interesting feature of this remarkable bird is the eyes. That’s because these most commonly present a distinctive and remarkable yellow. This trait sets it apart from related avian species.
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Aves
- Order: Suliformes
- Family: Sulidae
- Genus: Sula
- Species: S. nebouxii
Blue Footed Booby Distribution, Habitat, and Ecology
Firstly, the Blue Footed Booby evolved as a strictly marine bird. Therefore, it only needs land for breeding and nesting. This usually happens in large colonies. It typically constructs its nest amid the rocks of shorelines.
Further, this fascinating avian appears to have evolved as native to the region of the eastern Pacific Ocean. But, within that range, it nests on both the various tropical and subtropical islands.
In fact, the colorful bird may live across a territory ranging from the Gulf of California, in North America, to Peru. Additionally, roughly half of all pairs of the Blue Footed Booby seem to mate and nest on the Galapagos Islands.
Breeding also occurs every 8-9 months, yet only 1-3 eggs are laid. Finally, the diet consists almost entirely of fish. Individuals feed by diving, and sometimes even swimming, beneath the surface of the ocean to catch prey.
Species Sharing Its Range
Marine Iguana Lava Cactus Pinta Island Tortoise
Check out our other articles on Incredible Sharks of the World, Korean Fir, Gocta Cataracts, Red Veined Darter, Polar Bear, Black Rain Frog, Yosemite Cave Pseudoscorpion
sam says
Truly an incredible article! I must admit, the name caught me off guard for a minute and this appeared when i was searching for the Hub haha. What a splendid bird.
Todd Sain Sr. says
Hello Sam,
Thank you very much for your kind estimation. We think it’s a fascinating bird too!
OBP