Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 31.9 in
81 cm - Wingspan
- 62.2 in
158 cm - Weight
- 52.9–77.6 oz
1500–2200 g
Other Names
- Fou à pieds bleus (French)
- Piquero patiazul (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Blue-footed Booby is a rare, but regular visitor to the Salton Sea in California.
- The female Blue-footed Booby looks nearly identical to the male. The most obvious difference is that the pupils in her eyes are unusually large and somewhat star-shaped.
- The Blue-footed Booby makes no nest, but lays its eggs on bare ground. The incubating birds defecate while on the nest, and the eggs become surrounded by a circular wall of excrement.
Habitat
Ocean
Breeds on open ground on islands. Forages off shore.
Food
Fish
Fish, especially flying fish.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–3 eggs
- Egg Description
- Pale bluish.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless with little down.
Nest Description
Slight depression on bare ground.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Plunge-dives from various heights into schools of fish. May catch flying fish in the air.
Conservation
Least Concern
Largest breeding population located on Galapagos Islands, where they are protected.
Credits
- American Ornithologists' Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, 7th ed. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
- Palmer, R. S., ed. 1962. Handbook of North American Birds. Vol. 1. Yale University Press.
- Sibley, D. A. 2000. National Audubon Society. The Sibley Guide to Birds. A. A. Knopf, Inc., New York.