One of the most extraordinary attractions of Galapagos Islands is a curious bird called blue-footed booby, a particular kind of booby with blue feet and a large peak. Visitors can find them nesting or feeding near the coasts in many of the islands, where they live with their relatives, the red-footed boobies. Discover more details about these funny birds!
Its scientific name is Sula nebouxi and the common name in English is due to their attractive deep blue legs. The characteristic intense color of their legs is due to the carotenoid pigments that come from their diet. This color has an important role for these boobies, since males show their legs to females in a courtship dance.
Their weight is about 3 or 4 pounds and their size is about 3 feet long. They live approximately 17 years and they are specialized fish eaters. They nest at any time of year. They set usually a single egg, or sometimes 2 or 3 eggs, incubated for 44 days.
There are other kinds of boobies in Galapagos, like the Nazca Boobies and the red-footed boobies. The Nazca are the biggest, and Blue-footed Boobies are the smallest, but very similar in structure and shape. Blue-footed Boobies have longer tails than the rest, which makes them so good at swimming and climbing into the water. Another extraordinary skill of these birds is the way they catch fishes in midair. Travelers also enjoy seeing their courtship dances, very beautiful to observe.
The boobies are a protected specie of the Islands, and it is estimated that about 40,000 of them live in the Archipelago. They can also be found in the coasts of Peru and in the Gulf of California. The most important colonies of blue-footed Boobies can be found in Española Island and in North Seymour Island. There are also many of them in Isabela, Fernandina, Daphne, San Cristobal and others.
If you love birdwatching, come to Galapagos and know these extraordinary birds!
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