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Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxii

Migration Flyway

Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

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View on eBirdWikipedia

About the Blue-footed Booby

The blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) is a species of marine bird in the family Sulidae. The species is native to subtropical and tropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus Sula, commonly known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait and a product of its diet. The male displays its feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. Females are slightly larger than males and can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a wingspan up to 1.5 m (5 ft). The natural breeding habitats of the blue-footed booby are the tropical and subtropical islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Sula nebouxii
Family
Boobies and Gannets
Order
Suliformes

Similar species

Other members of the boobies and gannets family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
  • Cocos Booby Sula brewsteri
  • Masked Booby Sula dactylatra
  • Nazca Booby Sula granti
  • Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
  • Red-footed Booby Sula sula

Know when the Blue-footed Booby turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

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Gear for spotting Blue-footed Booby

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