H4_W2_013

Date: 2017

Location: Galapagos Islands

Did you know?

Blue-footed boobies are aptly named, and males take great pride in their fabulous feet. Part of the name “booby” is reportedly taken from the Spanish for “stupid,” “bobo”. During mating rituals, male birds show off their feet to prospective mates with a high-stepping strut. The bluer the feet, the more attractive the mate. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. Although the famous mating display might seem comical to humans, the display of foot color provides critical information on a bird’s health and ability to provide for young. They breed in the local colonies and islands. The female is slightly larger than the male.

About the picture

Habitats most well-known from the Galapagos but occurs extensively along the Pacific coast of Middle and South America, especially in the Gulf of California. Feeds by spectacular, steep-angle plunge-dives. Blue-footed Boobies catch fish in spectacular dives from high in the air. Watching large flocks pursue shoaling fish can be breathtaking, with hundreds plunging into the ocean at any moment. Blue-footed Boobies eat mostly fish and squid. Anchovies, sardines, mackerel, flying fish, and other small fish form most of the diet. The larger female boobies take larger fish, on average, than males and can dive more deeply than males.

Fun Fact

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