Brown Booby Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Blue-footed Booby
Adult
Blue-footed Boobies have bright blue feet and a whiter neck than Brown Boobies, which have yellow feet and a dark brown neck.
© Lisa Owens | Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, March 27, 2012Similar Species
Blue-footed Booby
Immature
Immature Blue-footed Boobies have a white belly while immature Brown Boobies have a dingy brown belly.
© Steve Collins | Macaulay LibraryNew Mexico, August 23, 2009Similar Species
Masked Booby
Adult
Masked Boobies have a white back while Brown Boobies have a brown back.
© Bruce Wedderburn | Macaulay LibraryNorfolk Island, April 04, 2011Similar Species
Masked Booby
Immature
Immature Masked Boobies have a distinct white collar while immature Brown Boobies have a solid brown neck and no white collar.
© James (Jim) Holmes | Macaulay LibrarySaint Helena, April 18, 2016Similar Species
Red-footed Booby
Adult dark morph
Dark morph Red-footed Boobies have a pale tan belly while adult Brown Boobies have a white belly and immature Brown Boobies have a dingy brown belly.
© Ken Chamberlain | Macaulay LibraryColima, December 04, 2015Similar Species
Northern Gannet
Juvenile
Juvenile Northern Gannets have a white patch on the tail that immature and adult Brown Boobies do not have (their tail is solid brown).
© John Reynolds | Macaulay LibraryOccitanie, December 03, 2016Main Species
Brown Booby
Adult (Atlantic)
Large, heavy-bodied seabird with a daggerlike bill. Adults are dark brown above with a white belly and yellow feet. Note pale yellow bill.
© Bill Adams | Macaulay LibraryArkansas, November 07, 2015Adult (Colombian)
Large seabird with a bullet-shaped body. Adults have an all dark back and tail.
© Rodolfo Dodero | Macaulay LibraryChocó, September 15, 2019Adult (Brewster's) with Western Gulls
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryBaja California, March 08, 2014Not all videos have sound
Adult (Brewster's)
Birds along the Pacific Coast of Mexico have a paler head, but still have a dark brown back and tail.
© Greg Gillson | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 21, 2014Adult (Forster's)
Large seabird with a bullet-shaped body and daggerlike bill. Brown above with a brown neck and a white belly.
© Alan Atkinson | Macaulay LibraryWestern Australia, August 03, 2012Adult (Brewster's) with Western Gull
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryBaja California, March 08, 2014Not all videos have sound
Immature
Immature birds look like adults but have a dingy brown belly.
© Bill Bacon | Macaulay LibraryChristmas Island, November 10, 2016Adult (Colombian)
Heavy-bodied dark brown seabird with a white belly. Note pale yellow bill and feet.
© Brian Sullivan | Macaulay LibraryGuanacaste, November 11, 2008Adult (Forster's) with Red-footed Booby
© Timothy Barksdale | Macaulay LibraryHawaii, April 01, 2003Not all videos have sound
Immature
Immature birds look similar to adults but have a dingy brown belly.
© Tim Lenz | Macaulay LibrarySonora, November 25, 2015Adult (Forster's)
Plunge-dives into the ocean, sweeping its wings backward and slicing through the water like an arrow.
© Rodney Appleby | Macaulay LibraryQueensland, July 02, 2016Adult (Forster's)
© Timothy Barksdale | Macaulay LibraryHawaii, April 01, 2003Not all videos have sound
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Species in This Family
Boobies and Gannets(Order: Suliformes, Family: Sulidae)
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