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| Blue-Footed Booby |
Blue-Footed Booby Fun Facts And Information With Picture
The blue-footed booby is a magnificent, beautiful bird species and the name booby comes from the Spanish word bobo which means stupid. The fun fact is that this blue-footed bird has been given this name due to its strange behavior and funny appearance.
The blue-footed booby is a magnificent bird species. This bird species can be seen on the Pacific coast of Central and South America such as the Gulf of California. Breeding pairs of this bird species nest in the Galapagos Islands. Apart from this, these birds can be seen not far from the land but at some distance near the sea.
These magnificent birds are known for their fearless nature towards humans and these birds are carnivorous. These birds can mostly be seen flying over the sea in search of their prey.
When these birds start diving into the sea rapidly after seeing a school of fish together, it is a very spectacular sight. When they are not looking for their food, these birds can be seen resting on the water or rocks. The most notable feature of these birds is its bright blue feet.
Not only this, the males of these birds are very proud of their blue feet and display it during mating to attract their mates. The flight and diving of these birds are amazing but these birds walk in a strange way on the ground. Let's know about the interesting facts of the blue-footed booby
Where Are Blue-Footed Booby Found
The blue-footed booby is a seabird native to the subtropical and tropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The blue-footed booby is one of the six species of the Sula genus known as boobies.
Fun fact is that this bird can be easily identified by its bright blue feet which play an important role during courtship in which the male bird displays his feet to attract the female bird during breeding.
The geographical range of the blue-footed boobies is limited and a large part of the population of these birds lives in the Galapagos Islands. But some of these birds can also be seen in the Gulf of California, the western coastal region of the central and southern parts of the US.
Scientific Name Of Blue-Footed Booby
The scientific name of the blue-footed booby is Sula nebouxii and blue-footed boobies look quite adorable. Especially when the male birds display their blue feet to woo their mate. The fearless nature of the blue-footed booby towards humans and their relaxed behavior are considered attractive.
You will be surprised to know that the feet of this bird are blue due to the carotenoid pigment found in fresh fish. Not only this, if the color of the feet of this bird is yellow, then it means that the bird is sick. This is the main reason why the food of these birds mostly consists of fresh fish.
These birds dive into the water from a great height for their food in the sea, due to which the water pressure becomes high. Therefore, there is an air sac in the skull of this bird species which protects its brain from any kind of damage.
Habitat Of Blue-Footed Booby
Blue-footed Booby birds are mostly found in the sea but sometimes these birds are also seen living on land. Blue-footed Boobies nest in tropical and subtropical islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Blue-footed Boobies are social birds that like to nest in groups. Most of the time these magnificent birds hunt in flocks but they are sometimes seen enjoying their prey alone.
How Blue-Footed Booby Look Like
The most attractive feature of these birds is their bright blue webbed feet and apart from this, the lower parts of the blue-footed boobies are white. Brown stripes are present on their head and neck.
The brown colored beaks of blue-footed boobies are narrow and saw-edged. This type of beak helps these birds to successfully catch their prey and feed themselves.
The wings of these magnificent birds are long, pointed and dark brown in color and their wingspan is about 5 feet. In these birds, the female birds are slightly larger than the males. Their babies have brown feet and dark brown head and neck. Read- Green Anaconda Facts About The Largest Snake In The World
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Size And Weight Of A Blue-Footed Booby
Blue-footed Booby are about 32-34 inches long which is about three times the size of a pigeon. Blue-footed Booby weighs about 1.5 kg and apart from that, the female birds are slightly heavier than the male birds.
What Does Blue-Footed Booby Eat
The diet of these bird species consists of fish but sometimes they also hunt shrimp. Some of their favorite fish are sardines, flying fish and anchovies and these birds mostly fly 33-100 feet above the sea
These magnificent birds keep a close watch in search of schools of fish. Sometimes these birds can fly in flocks up to a distance of 330 feet above the sea and dive into the sea rapidly when they spot fish.
Blue-footed boobies can dive into the water from a height of 33-100 feet and even 330 feet while hunting. Not only this, these birds descend into the water at a speed of about 97 km per hour and can go up to a depth of 25 meters below the water surface.
Blue-Footed Booby Nests
These birds are monogamous and form pairs. These magnificent birds are opportunistic breeders and have a very interesting courtship display. In which the male bird displays his blue feet and dances to impress the female.
While performing the courtship display, the male bird starts by strutting in front of the female and showing his blue feet. Then he presents the nest material and completes the mating ritual with a final display of his feet. Not only this, the male bird raises his wings and tail while dancing and points his head and beak towards the sky.
Blue-footed boobies prefer to nest in colonies. Each pair of these birds can use and defend two or three nest sites. The female bird lays 2 or 3 eggs and both parents take turns incubating the eggs.
The incubation period of these birds is 41-45 days and mostly only 1 or 2 chicks are born. The male provides food to the children in the first part of their life due to his diving and the female takes over when the demand is high.
The children are fed fish by both the parents. If the parents don’t have enough food for all the children they will only feed the eldest child, ensuring that at least one will survive. Read- Amazon Rainforest Mysteries And Dangerous Animal
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How Long Do Blue-Footed Booby Live
Blue-footed boobies live for about 15 to 17 years in the wild.
How Fast Can The Blue-Footed Booby Fly
Blue-footed boobies fly gracefully up to 330 feet above the sea and at a speed of about 96.5 kilometers per hour.
How Do Blue-Footed Booby Communicate
This bird species communicates through voice and with the help of chemical channels. Apart from this, during mating, the male bird makes a heartfelt whistle and the female accepts the request with a murmuring sound. When these birds see a fish in the sea, they also whistle to inform the flock.
How Many Blue-Footed Booby Are Left In The World
At present, there are about 80,000 blue-footed boobies left in the world and most of these breeding pairs nest in the Galapagos Islands. The population of blue-footed boobies is quite stable.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the conservation status of this species is considered to be of least concern. But the population of these birds is declining in some parts.
Apart from this, their inability to breed as much as before, the unavailability of their favorite fish sardines and water pollution are some of the reasons for their population decline.
Behavior Of Blue-Footed Booby
Blue-footed Boobies do not pose any threat to humans. But they can be aggressive towards each other during mating time. Overall, this bird species is quite harmless and blue-footed boobies are wild birds so they cannot be made pets.
Blue-Footed Booby Facts For Kids
1. Do blue-footed boobies still exist?
These magnificent birds nest on islands in the tropical eastern Pacific and live in the Gulf of California in Mexico by the thousands, but finding them in the United States or Canada is challenging.
2. Why is it called the blue-footed booby?
The name blue-footed booby comes from the Spanish word bobo, meaning fool or idiot. These magnificent birds have a tendency to be careless about potential danger, which often makes them vulnerable.
3. How rare is the blue-footed booby?
There are currently about 80,000 blue-footed boobies left in the world, and most of these breeding pairs nest in the Galapagos Islands. The blue-footed booby population is quite stable. Blue-footed boobies are native to Central and South America and can be seen along the Pacific coast stretching from Southern California to Peru.
4. Are blue-footed boobies friendly to humans?
These birds have no natural predators on land and very few natural predators in the sea. Also, these birds are naturally very curious. These birds are mostly not worried if people approach them on land and also these birds will land on boats to detect people in the sea.
5. Who eats the blue-footed booby?
The blue-footed booby has no natural predators on land and very few natural predators in the sea.
6. Are blue-footed boobies intelligent?
Bobo is a Spanish word meaning fool. This bird is not particularly stupid and birds in general are quite smart creatures but this bird moves awkwardly on land.
7. Can blue-footed boobies fly?
This bird spends most of its time fishing and is often seen in flocks. Blue-footed boobies patrol by flying over water, then dive quickly and often from great heights to catch the fish they find. Apart from this, this bird spends the rest of its day resting and grooming itself in the water or any convenient place.
8. Can blue-footed boobies swim?
It can swim well in water. Apart from this, blue-footed boobies can dive into water from a height of 33-100 feet and even 330 feet while hunting. Not only this, these birds descend into the water at a speed of about 97 km per hour and can go up to a depth of 25 meters below the water surface.
9. Do blue-footed boobies stay together for life?
Once these birds are paired, the pair often stays together for life. The female bird lays two to three eggs, after which both parents take turns incubating them while one of them keeps an eye on predators. You will be surprised to know that boobies do not have a brood patch, instead these birds use their large feet to keep the eggs warm.
10. What is a pink-footed booby?
Blue-footed boobies are about 32-34 inches long which is about three times the size of a pigeon. Blue-footed boobies weigh about 1.5 kg and apart from that female birds are slightly heavier than male birds.