The red-footed boobies

Author g4l4p4g0s
Posted on 28th January 202101/28/2021
Birds, Birdwatching, Cruises, Nature, Photography
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We talked in our previous blog about the Nazca Booby, the largest of the three booby species inhabiting the Galapagos Islands. Today we are going to talk about the Red-footed Booby, the smallest of these kind of sea birds. We invite you to read the following article about this incredible and fascinating native bird of the Galapagos Islands. Feel free to ask us any questions or doubts you may have, and to leave any comment or feedback.

The red-footed booby is a native seabird species of the Enchanted Islands, found on Genovesa Island and Pitt Point (San Cristobal Island). There is also a small congregation of these birds near to Floreana Island.

Description:

According to National Geographic, the red-footed boobies don’t migrate, but live throughout the year in subtropical and tropical territories of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Accustomed to sailors, they frequently follow (and often land on) marine craft. Red-footed boobies feed on the sea, but nest ashore, perching in coastline trees and bushes.

Interesting facts about the Red-Footed Boobies:

Red-footed boobies are vigorous flyers, and can travel up to 150 kilometers looking for food.
They are monogamous and loyal to their partners.
Although they live in many places around the world, the largest colony of these birds can be found on Genovesa Island, with almost 150,000 pairs.
These birds are extremely sensitive to alterations in their provision of food. If they are not able to find abundant food, they are known to reject their chicks or eggs. In contrast, when there are copious amounts of food, the red-footed boobies feed their chicks well past the fledging stage.
They have vigorous vision and astonishing diving skills; they can virtually capture any prey while diving up to almost 50 meters undersea.
They are very gregarious, and frequently feed in wide groups.

Recommendations to see the Red-Footed Booby:

If you want to see this seabird, we recommend you take our 8-, 12- and 15-days birdwatching itineraries, specially designed for bird lovers and photographers. There is a high number of red-footed boobies on Genovesa, so there is a high probability you see them on our cruise.

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