The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is
a large seabird (32 - 34") with a steely blue-gray long
pointed bill. The neck and head are streaked pale
brown. The tail, wings and back are dark brown; underparts are
white as well as the nape and rump. Legs and feet are bright
blue.
According to my references, Boobies received
their name because they can be easily captured while asleep.
They are generally silent; on their breeding grounds they trumpet
and whistle.
Generally frequenting the open sea, boobies
nest on small oceanic islands in colonies. Two or three whitish
pale blue or green elliptical eggs are laid on the ground. This
bird breeds from the Gulf of California all the way to Peru in
South America. In the summer, boobies can be found in California's
Salton Sea and sometimes along the southern California coast.
Boobies feed on fish that they catch by
diving into the water , wings slightly folder, from high in the
air, sometimes upwards of 100 feet.
Order: Pelecaniformes; Family:
Sulidae; Genus/Species: Sula nebouxii