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Blue footed boobies . By Anthony Mitchell. Blue footed boobies: Introduction.
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Blue footed boobies By Anthony Mitchell
Blue footed boobies: Introduction This fall the Pacific has been full of anchovies which has attracted lots of humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and especially sea birds. Pelicans and seagulls are common here, but when we saw a photo of a blue-footed booby in the local newspaper with a story about sightings of them in Santa Cruz we decided to learn more about them since they usually don’t come this far north and most people only get to see them up close in the Galapagos Islands. We’ve spent lots of time watching the whales and dolphins and I think I may have seen a blue footed boobie while I was at Santa Maria beach.
Blue footed boobies: Geography These birds live off the western coasts of central South America. More then half of all breeding pairs are found on the Galapagos islands.
Blue footed boobies: diet Boobies are carnivorous birds. They fly far out to sea looking for schools of small fish. They prefer mackerel, squid, sardines and anchovies. Boobies will some times fish together in groups. They have been seen hanging out with groups of pelicans here in Santa Cruz.
Blue footed boobies: Behavior Watching the blue footed boobie males do their mating dance will make you laugh. They lift each foot up and down, right and left and then spread their wings to show off for the females. You can watch the clip below: Blue Footed Booby Dance
Blue footed boobies in action When they find their prey they fold their wings back around their bodies and dive in to the water from as high as 80 feet..
Blue footed boobies: facts • Life span is 17 years in the wild • Size is 32-34 inches high • Weight is 3 ¼ lbs. • Wingspan is about 5 feet
Blue footed boobies: Coloring The upper part of the body is mainly brown with a white rump. They have a black tail and a silvery grey beak. Of course these birds are most famous for their bright blue feet but there are a lot of different shades of blue feet but males and youngsters usually have lighter, brighter feet than females. It’s not clear why the feet are blue but the blueness definitely plays an important rolein courting. Recent research indicates that the color of the male’s feet may be linked to diet and therefore indicate his health. Females are likely to select mates with brighter feet to make surethat their offspring inherit genes from a strong male in good condition.