Red-footed Booby - Dry Tortugas

On 26 April 2008, an immature Red-footed Booby, Sula sula, was reported from Dry Tortugas National Park, a cluster of seven islands almost 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. The bird has been most recently reported by Murray Gardler and many observers on Garden Key (also reported on nearby Long Key) on the 27th.   

Although the exact age of the Red-footed Booby has not been discussed, it was reported as a dark morph bird.  This species is truly polymorphic with a white morph, black-tailed white morph, "golden" white morph, brown morph, white-tailed brown morph, white-headed brown morph, and white-tailed brown morph.  It is the only booby with a white tail, although in some morphs the tail is brown.  It is one of two booby species that nest in trees, where it will also roost.

Red-footed Booby is pantropical in distribution with long foraging flights that make plotting its movements difficult.  Juveniles are notorious for long flights, some recorded over 200 miles from the nearest land.  They are reported to leave on foraging journeys at first light, often returning after dark.

This booby is one of the most abundant and widespread, yet is an ABA Area Code 4 species.  Its food preferences, flying-fish and squid, are both caught by plunge-diving, although flying-fish are also caught in flight.  Red-footed Booby have large eyes which help explain how this species can hunt during moonlit nights, when squid come to the surface.  It is a species that often perches on ships. 

Bill Maynard

Editor - Winging It