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Difference between revisions of "Red-footed Booby" - BirdForum Opus

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;Sula sula
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[[Image:1568red_footed_boobyDSC_00101_by_Neil.jpg‎ |thumb|550px|right|Adult white moreph, ''S. s. rubripes''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Neil|Neil Fifer}}<br/>Oahu, [[Hawaii]], [[USA]], 3 September 2004]]
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Previous name: ''Sula piscator''
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;[[:Category:Sula|Sula]] sula
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[[Image:1568red_footed_boobyDSC_00101_by_Neil.jpg‎ |thumb|550px|right|Photo of white phase bird by Neil from Oahu, Hawaii, USA]]
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==Identification==
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[[Image:Red-footed_Booby.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Photo by LMG of brown phase bird]]
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[[Image:Red-footed_Booby.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Adult brown morph<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|LMG|LMG}}<br />Galapagos, 2001]]
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==Description==
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L. 26-29 in
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A small booby at 26-29 inches with long tail and short neck and low wing-loading. This species exists in brown color phase, white phase, and brown with white tail, with differing proportions in different populations. Brown phase adult birds share the strong red color of the feet and the black flight feathers (primaries and, in most populations, outer secondaries) with the other color phases and in addition a bluish bill that has a pink base and bluish skin around the eye are also shared charecters. Brown phase in addition has wings (some sources say even the underside of the wings) that are darker than head, neck and underside of body (which is light brown to beige), pink face and bluish bill and most have white tip to tail. Many brown phase birds have a darker brown "necklace" around the upper breast.
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*Long tail
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*Short neck
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The phase that is brown with white tail is fundamentally similar to the brown phase except that the entire tail, undertail coverts, and uppertail coverts are white. The white phase is entirely white including wing coverts but excluding the flight feathers already mentioned, and with a distinctive black bar on the distal underwing coverts seen well in the image by Neil. On head and neck some populations have a yellow wash, and some pacific populations have most of the tail black, while in the Caribbean and around Australia, the tail is white.  
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*Red feet
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*Black flight feathers
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Juvenile birds are similar to the brown color phase, but lack the pink base to the bill. They start out with the bill all gray and feet that are dusky to orange; the bill then turn two-colored with dark tip and lighter inner part that may be fleshy. The juvenile also have the head and neck lighter than the upperside of the wing, and compared with e.g., juvenile [[Brown Booby]] has darker underwing lacking the white areas seen in the latter.
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**Primaries and, in most populations, outer secondaries
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*Bluish bill with pink base
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*Bluish skin around the eye
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====Brown Morph====
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*Wings darker than head, neck and underside of body
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*Pink face
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*Bluish bill
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*Most have white tip to tail
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*Many have dark brown necklace around upper breast
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====Brown with White tail====
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Fundamentally similar to the brown phase except that the entire tail, undertail coverts, and uppertail coverts are white.
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====White Morph====
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*Entirely white, except for flight feathers
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*Distinctive black bar on distal underwing coverts
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**See image
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*Yellow wash on head and neck in some populations
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Some Pacific populations have most of the tail black, while in the Caribbean and around Australia, the tail is white.  
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====Juvenile====
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Birds are similar to the brown color phase, but lack the pink base to the bill. They start out with the bill all gray and feet that are dusky to orange; the bill then turn two-colored with dark tip and lighter inner part that may be fleshy. The juvenile also have the head and neck lighter than the upperside of the wing, and compared with e.g., juvenile [[Brown Booby]] has darker underwing lacking the white areas seen in the latter.
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==Distribution==
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This is a pan-tropical species with nominate subspecies breeding in the [[Caribbean]] (only white and brown with white tail) and off [[Brazil]], with ''rubripes'' breeding in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and ''websteri'' breeding off [[Mexico]] and [[Central America]].
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
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The Red-footed Booby is divided into three subspecies, ''sula'', ''rubripes'', and ''websteri''.
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Formerly placed under the name ''Sula piscator''.
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==Distribution==
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====Subspecies====
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This is a pan-tropical species with nominate subspecies breeding in the Caribbean (only white and brown with white tail) and off Brazil, with ''rubripes'' breeding in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and ''websteri'' breeding off Mexico and Central America.
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Three subspecies<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
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*''S. s. sula'': Red-footed Booby (Atlantic)
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:*Breeds islands in [[Caribbean]] and off [[Brazil]]
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*''S. s. rubripes'': Red-footed Booby (Hawaiian)
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:*Breeds islands in tropical Pacific and [[India]]n oceans
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*''S. s. websteri'' Red-footed Booby (Eastern Pacific)
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:*Islands off western [[Mexico]], [[Central America]] and [[Galapagos Islands]]
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 
Pelagic; rarely seen near land except near breeding colonies which are normally situated on small islands.  
 
Pelagic; rarely seen near land except near breeding colonies which are normally situated on small islands.  
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==Behavior==
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==Behaviour==
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May breed in any month with nests situated in trees and bushes, rarely on the ground. It is a strong flyer which rarely dive vertically but instead often flies into a wave or hit calmer water in a shallow angle. May also catch flying-fish above water.  
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====Breeding====
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May breed in any month with nests situated in trees and bushes, rarely on the ground.
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====Feeding====
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It is a strong flyer which rarely dive vertically but instead often flies into a wave or hit calmer water in a shallow angle. May also catch flying-fish above water.  
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==References==
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#{{Ref-Clements6thAug19}}#Carboneras, C., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Garcia, E.F.J. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Red-footed Booby (''Sula sula''). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52624 on 5 October 2019).
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#Howell, S. N. G. and K. Zufelt (2019) ''Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide.'' Princeton Univ. Press.
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#Red-footed Booby (''Sula sula''), In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/refboo
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{{ref}}
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==External Links==
 
==External Links==
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{{GSearch|Red-footed+Booby}}
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{{GSearch|"Sula sula" {{!}} "Red-footed Booby"}}
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*[http://www.aviceda.org/abid/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&fid=46&bid=616 View more images of this species on the ABID]
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{{GS-checked}}1
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*[http://www.orientalbirdimages.org/birdimages.php?action=birdspecies&Bird_ID=1077&Bird_Image_ID=3643&Bird_Family_ID=113 View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages]
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<br />
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[[Category:Birds]]
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<br />
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Sula]]

Revision as of 21:29, 28 February 2023

Adult white moreph, S. s. rubripes
Photo © by Neil Fifer
Oahu, Hawaii, USA, 3 September 2004
Sula sula

Identification

Adult brown morph
Photo © by LMG
Galapagos, 2001

L. 26-29 in

  • Long tail
  • Short neck
  • Red feet
  • Black flight feathers
    • Primaries and, in most populations, outer secondaries
  • Bluish bill with pink base
  • Bluish skin around the eye

Brown Morph

  • Wings darker than head, neck and underside of body
  • Pink face
  • Bluish bill
  • Most have white tip to tail
  • Many have dark brown necklace around upper breast

Brown with White tail

Fundamentally similar to the brown phase except that the entire tail, undertail coverts, and uppertail coverts are white.

White Morph

  • Entirely white, except for flight feathers
  • Distinctive black bar on distal underwing coverts
    • See image
  • Yellow wash on head and neck in some populations

Some Pacific populations have most of the tail black, while in the Caribbean and around Australia, the tail is white.

Juvenile

Birds are similar to the brown color phase, but lack the pink base to the bill. They start out with the bill all gray and feet that are dusky to orange; the bill then turn two-colored with dark tip and lighter inner part that may be fleshy. The juvenile also have the head and neck lighter than the upperside of the wing, and compared with e.g., juvenile Brown Booby has darker underwing lacking the white areas seen in the latter.

Distribution

This is a pan-tropical species with nominate subspecies breeding in the Caribbean (only white and brown with white tail) and off Brazil, with rubripes breeding in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and websteri breeding off Mexico and Central America.

Taxonomy

Formerly placed under the name Sula piscator.

Subspecies

Three subspecies[1]:

  • S. s. sula: Red-footed Booby (Atlantic)
  • S. s. rubripes: Red-footed Booby (Hawaiian)
  • Breeds islands in tropical Pacific and Indian oceans
  • S. s. websteri Red-footed Booby (Eastern Pacific)

Habitat

Pelagic; rarely seen near land except near breeding colonies which are normally situated on small islands.

Behaviour

Breeding

May breed in any month with nests situated in trees and bushes, rarely on the ground.

Feeding

It is a strong flyer which rarely dive vertically but instead often flies into a wave or hit calmer water in a shallow angle. May also catch flying-fish above water.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Carboneras, C., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Garcia, E.F.J. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Red-footed Booby (Sula sula). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/52624 on 5 October 2019).
  3. Howell, S. N. G. and K. Zufelt (2019) Oceanic Birds of the World: A Photo Guide. Princeton Univ. Press.
  4. Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/refboo

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

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