At a Glance

Often shown in documentaries about the Galapagos, where pairs bow and shuffle and show off their blue feet, the Blue-footed Booby also nests as far north as western Mexico. In some years, small numbers stray north into the southwestern United States, mainly to the Salton Sea, California.
Category
Boobies and Gannets, Gull-like Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Coasts and Shorelines, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Open Ocean
Region
California, Southwest
Behavior
Flap/Glide, Soaring, Swimming
Population
90.000

Range & Identification

Description

32-34" (81-86 cm). Typical booby shape with heavy pointed bill, pointed tail, long wings. Looks dull at a distance, dark on wings, whitish below. White scaling on brown back; head finely streaked on adults, dingy on young birds. Feet blue, brightest on adults.
Size
About the size of a Heron
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, White
Wing Shape
Long, Narrow, Pointed, Swept, Tapered
Tail Shape
Pointed, Wedge-shaped

Songs and Calls

Usually silent; trumpeting and whistling noises on breeding grounds.
Call Pattern
Flat, Undulating
Call Type
Odd, Raucous

Conservation

Conservation Status