The Red-footed booby (Sula sula) is a large seabird of the booby family, Sulidae. It is the smallest member of the booby and gannet family.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
Cr
CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Gl
GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Se
SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Pu
Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
Co
ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
Hi
Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
R
starts withAs their name implies, these birds have red legs, and their bill and throat pouch are colored pink and blue. This species has several morphs. In the white morph the plumage is mostly white (the head is often tinged yellowish) and the flight feathers are black. The black-tailed white morph is similar, but with a black tail, and can easily be confused with the Nazca and masked boobies. The brown morph is overall brown. The white-tailed brown morph is similar but has a white belly, rump, and tail. The white-headed and white-tailed brown morph has a mostly white body, tail, and head, and brown wings and back. The morphs commonly breed together, but in most regions, one or two morphs predominates; for example, at the Galápagos Islands, most belong to the brown morph, though the white morph also occurs. The sexes are similar, and juveniles are brownish with darker wings, and pale pinkish legs, while chicks are covered in dense white down.
Red-footed boobies are found widely in the tropics. They breed on islands throughout the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. When not breeding, these birds are found in ocean waters.
Red-footed boobies are powerful and agile fliers, but they are clumsy in takeoffs and landings. They can travel up to 145 km (90 miles) when feeding. Boobies prefer to hunt at dusk and dawn. They hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. They are highly gregarious. Boobies breed in large colonies and often congregate at plentiful feeding sites.
Red-footed boobies are carnivores (piscivores). They mainly eat small fish (such as flying fish) or squid which gather in groups near the surface.
Red-footed boobies are monogamous breeders and form pairs that may remain together over several seasons. They perform elaborate greeting rituals, including harsh squawks and the male's display of his blue throat, also including short dances. Red-footed boobies nest in large colonies, placing their nests not far from each other. The nests are usually located in a tree or bush, but rarely boobies may nest on the ground. Females lay one chalky blue egg in a stick nest, which is incubated by both parents for 44-46 days. It may be 3 months before the young first fly, and 5 months before they make extensive flights. Red-footed boobies become reproductively mature and start to breed when they are between 2 and 3 years old.
Red-footed boobies are hunted illegally for food in some areas of their range but they are not considered threatened at present.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Red-footed booby is 1.4 million mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.