Blue-footed boobies are incredibly adorable birds. Yellow eyes, pure white belly, irridescent brown wings, long silver beak, and bright blue feet. They look like funny birds jumping out from cartoons. And we, can’t keep our eyes off these striking creatures.
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Are you curious about their blue feet? They are caused by carotenoids, the pigments found in the fish they eat. Studies have shown that the foot color of the chicks how they are raised by their parents. If they are well fed and cared for, their feet will be a more intense color of blue. They grow faster and stronger.
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Additionally, the blue feet make the male more attractive to the female during the breeding season. To get her attention, he shows off his striking feet with a high-stepping strut. The bluer the feet, the more handsome he is.
Image Credits: Your Shot
Image Credits: Your Shot
Noticeably, the male and female of this bird look similar.
Image Credits: Your Shot
Image Credits: Your Shot
The blue-footed booby is endemic to tropical and subtropical and regions of the Pacific, from California all the way down to Peru. They are one of the most famous and captivating birds on the Galapagos island. Half of the population of this species inhabit here.
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These boobies feed mainly on fish that they seek by diving and sometimes swimming underwater. They usually hunt in groups but they sometimes do it alone.
Most of the time, these birds are marine birds. They only live on land for breeding and training the hatchlings until fully-fledged.
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Unlike many other species, the female blue-footed booby doesn’t build her nest during the breeding season. She lays 1-3 eggs on the ground and starts the incubation when the last egg is laid. Both parents are involved in incubating and raising the chicks.
Image Credits: Your Shot
Image Credits: Your Shot
You can watch the video of these boobies below!
H/T: National Geographic
