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    Red-footed booby

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    Goofy-looking yet evolutionarily refined for life above the waves

    Doug Greenberg








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    Red-footed booby

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE

    Goofy-looking yet evolutionarily refined for life above the waves

    Population 1.4M

    One of the most colorful and agile seabirds in the world, and the smallest member of the booby family. What makes it instantly stand out — and gives it its name — are its bright red feet, which look like they’ve been dipped in paint. These eye-catching feet aren’t just for show; they play an important role during courtship displays, where males show them off with dramatic dances to impress females. Along with its vivid feet, this bird also has a blue beak and face, long pointed wings, and sleek feathers that come in a variety of colors — from pure white to grayish-brown. This makes the red-footed booby one of the few seabirds with multiple color morphs.

    Unlike its larger relatives like the blue-footed and masked boobies, the red-footed booby is more lightweight and built for graceful, long-distance flying. Its slim body and long wings help it glide effortlessly over the ocean, often traveling hundreds of miles in search of food. They feed primarily on small fish and squid, which they catch by diving headfirst into the water from great heights. Watching one dive is like seeing a feathered torpedo in action — fast, precise, and powerful. They often hunt in groups and are known to follow schools of tuna or dolphins, which help drive fish closer to the surface.

    One of the things that makes the red-footed booby unique among boobies is its nesting behavior. While other boobies nest on the ground, red-footed boobies are the only ones that nest in trees or shrubs, using twigs and branches to build a nest off the ground. They are found across tropical oceans, including the Caribbean, the Galápagos Islands, and the Pacific Islands, and often form large breeding colonies on remote islands where they can safely raise their young.

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    American Samoa
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Anguilla
    2020
    Antigua & Barbuda
    2020
    Aruba
    2020
    Australia
    2020
    Bahamas
    2020
    Bangladesh
    2020
    Barbados
    2020
    Belize
    2020
    Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
    2020
    Brazil
    2020
    British Indian T.
    2020
    Breeding
    British Virgin Is.
    2020
    Cayman Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    China
    2020
    Christmas Island
    2020
    Breeding
    Cocos Is. (Keeling)
    2020
    Breeding
    Colombia
    2020
    Comoros
    2020
    Cook Islands
    2020
    Costa Rica
    2020
    Cuba
    2020
    Curaçao
    2020
    Djibouti
    2020
    Dominica
    2020
    Dominican Republic
    2020
    East Timor
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Ecuador
    2020
    Breeding: Galápagos
    El Salvador
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Fiji
    2020
    Breeding
    French Guiana
    2020
    French Polynesia
    2020
    French Southern T.
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Grenada
    2020
    Guadeloupe
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Guam
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Guatemala
    2020
    Guyana
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Haiti
    2020
    Honduras
    2020
    Hong Kong
    2020
    Vagrant
    India
    2020
    Indonesia
    2020
    Jamaica
    2020
    Breeding
    Japan
    2020
    Kenya
    2020
    Vagrant
    Kiribati
    2020
    Madagascar
    2020
    Malaysia
    2020
    Maldives
    2020
    Vagrant
    Marshall Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    Martinique
    2020
    Mauritius
    Official estimate
    EX
    Extinct locally, Vagrant
    Mayotte
    2020
    Mexico
    2020
    Micronesia
    2020
    Breeding
    Montserrat
    2020
    Mozambique
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Nauru
    2020
    Vagrant
    New Caledonia
    2020
    Nicaragua
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Niue
    2020
    Norfolk Island
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Nort. Mariana Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    Oman
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Palau
    2020
    Breeding
    Panama
    2020
    Vagrant
    Papua New Guinea
    2020
    Philippines
    2020
    Pitcairn
    2020
    Portugal
    2020
    Vagrant
    Puerto Rico
    2020
    Breeding
    Russia
    2020
    Réunion
    2020
    Breeding
    Saint Helena
    2020
    Breeding
    Saint Lucia
    2020
    Saint Martin
    2020
    Non-Breeding: French Part
    Saint Vincent
    2020
    Samoa
    2020
    Seychelles
    2020
    Breeding
    Sint Maarten
    2020
    Non-Breeding: Dutch Part
    Solomon Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    Somalia
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Sri Lanka
    2020
    St. Kitts & Nevis
    2020
    Suriname
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Taiwan
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Tanzania
    2020
    Vagrant
    Thailand
    2020
    Vagrant
    Tokelau
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Tonga
    2020
    Trinidad & Tobago
    2020
    Turks & Caicos
    2020
    Tuvalu
    2020
    UAE
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    US Minor Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    US Virgin Islands
    2020
    United States
    2020
    Breeding: Hawaiian Is.
    Vanuatu
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Venezuela
    2020
    Vietnam
    2020
    Wallis & Futuna
    2020
    Breeding

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    Get to know me

    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic / Monomorphic (size)

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Least Concern(IUCN)
    World Population 1.4M
    Honorary Patron: BioDB
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    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Sula sula Number of subspecies: 3 Name of subspecies:

    S. s. rubripes
    S. s. sula
    S. s. websteri

    Physical traits

    Length: 70 cm (28 in) Weight: 837 g (30 oz) Lifespan: 23 years Wingspan: 152 cm (60 in) Incubation: 44 – 46 days Eggs: One egg
    Habitats: Marine
    Regions: Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America
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