The smallest of the boobies, the Red-footed Booby is an uncommon visitor to the mainland United States. It is seen only rarely off the California coast and at sea off southern Florida, and it breeds in the Hawaiian Islands.
Like all boobies, the Red-footed Booby never carries its prey in its beak. Instead, it always swallows it before flying.
The Red-footed Booby comes in a confusing array of color morphs, ranging from individuals that are all white except for blackish on the wing, to individuals that are entirely dark brown. Some birds fail to fit neatly into any of the typical color morph categories, and many variations exist. Color morphs do not segregate reproductively or geographically; individuals representing several morphs breed in a single colony.
The oldest recorded Red-footed Booby was at least 22 years, 11 months old.
Seabirds
