Red-footed Booby

The Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, is the smallest member of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. It is a large seabird with a length of about 70 cm (28 in) and a wingspan reaching up to 152 cm (60 in). The species is notable for its vivid red feet, while its bill and throat pouch exhibit a delightful pink and blue hue. The plumage of the Red-footed Booby varies, presenting several morphs that range from mostly white to overall brown, with some having distinctive black tails or white bellies.

Identification Tips

Adult Red-footed Boobies can be identified by their red legs and colorful bill and throat pouch. The various morphs may require careful observation to distinguish: the white morph has predominantly white plumage with black flight feathers, while the brown morph is overall brown. Juveniles display a brownish coloration with darker wings and pale pinkish legs, and chicks are covered in dense white down.

Habitat

The Red-footed Booby is a bird of tropical marine environments, often found over open seas. It breeds colonially in coastal regions, favoring islands for nesting sites.

Distribution

This species enjoys a wide distribution across tropical oceans. It is a frequent sight in the Caribbean and the southwest Atlantic islands, the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans, and the eastern central Pacific.

Behaviour

Red-footed Boobies are powerful and agile fliers, although they exhibit a certain clumsiness during takeoffs and landings. They spend most of their time at sea, which makes them a rare sight away from breeding colonies. Intriguingly, a male of this species was once found washed up in East Sussex, UK, far from its usual habitat.

Song & Calls

The Red-footed Booby communicates with harsh squawks, particularly during its elaborate greeting rituals.

Breeding

Breeding occurs on islands in tropical oceans. The Red-footed Booby lays a single chalky blue egg in a stick nest, often placed in a tree or bush. Both parents incubate the egg for 44–46 days. The young may take up to three months to fly and five months to venture on extensive flights. Pairs may remain together for several seasons, engaging in complex greeting rituals and dances.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Red-footed Booby consists mainly of small fish, such as flying fish, and squid. They hunt by diving into the ocean at high speeds to capture their prey, which tends to congregate near the surface.

Conservation status

The Red-footed Booby is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), although its population is on the decline. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation has been known to negatively impact breeding success by reducing food supply during its warm phase.