Fun Red-Footed Booby Facts For Kids

The red-footed booby Sula genus (Sula sula) is the bird we are reading about. The name Sula has Latin origins. Red-footed bobby is a wild nickname given to it by some locals. The red-footed booby is a wild predatory seabird. They belong to the order Suliformes. Galapagos is a major hotspot for these birds. Most people visiting the Galapagos islands hope to see a Galapagos red-footed booby. Red and blue-footed boobies are the most common subspecies of boobies.

Here are some of the most interesting red and blue-footed booby facts for your perusal. After reading these facts about the red-footed booby range, check out the moorhen and the red kite.  

What type of animal is a red-footed booby?

The red-footed booby is a blue-billed bird. Red-footed boobies can be found living near water shores as they can get access to their prey easily.

What class of animal does a red-footed booby belong to?

A red-footed booby belongs to the class Aves. It is a small bird with distinctive red feet.

How many red-footed boobies are there in the world?

There are more than 1,000,000 individual red-footed boobies in the world who primarily reside in rookeries located in their natural habitat.

Where does a red-footed booby live?

A red-footed booby's habitat is generally located near the blue waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Galapagos and other islands.

What is a red-footed booby's habitat?

Galapagos red-footed boobies are a species that prey and feed on fish. They are required to be near the water. That is why they inhabit coastal regions and the Galapagos Islands. They live in low-lying shrubs or they build their nests on top of trees. Tropical regions are where most colonies of red-footed boobies are found. Their nests are often unstable and storms from the ocean can destroy their nests.

Who do red-footed boobies live with?

Red-footed boobies are usually found in colonies with hundreds of their species.

How long does a red-footed booby live?

Red-footed boobies are a species of seabirds that have a long lifespan. They can live for over 20 years.

How do they reproduce?

Red-footed booby birds use their attractive wings and blue bill to attract a single partner for a lifetime. The red-footed booby mating ritual comprises a male red-footed booby dance which is conducted in a unique style to impress the females. The red-footed booby breeding ritual takes place every 15 months. After the breeding process is over, the female lays their eggs in the nest. Usually, the red-footed booby females lay only a single egg. During the incubation period, both males and females participate in the care process till the eggs hatch. The parents take care of the immature red-footed booby bird till it is ready to fly on its own.  

What is their conservation status?

The population trend of red-footed boobies is decreasing over time, but since there are huge populations of red-footed boobies all over the globe, it is not a threat. They are nowhere near extinction, and that is why their conservation status is of Least Concern.

What do red-footed boobies look like?

Red-footed boobies are birds that have distinctive red feet. They have a blue bill and a pinkish throat pouch. This species has four major types of morphs: white morph, black-tailed white morph, brown morph, and white-tailed brown morph. A white morph is almost completely white, but its flight feathers are black. A black-tailed white morph looks like a white morph but has a black-colored tail. A brown morph is completely brown. A white-tailed brown morph is almost the same as a brown morph but has a white-colored tail.

How cute are they?

Red-footed boobies are very cute. When looked at very closely, they resemble soft toys with blue bills.

How do they communicate?

Red-footed boobies are birds that are mostly silent when they are hunting or at sea. But when it comes to breeding grounds, they are very vocal. The males use bray and whistles to attract females. They also dance by spreading their wings and raising them in the air to impress females. Females respond with a deep duck-like tone. Baby red-footed boobies also use a deep duck-like tone to communicate.

How big is a red-footed booby?

A red-footed booby can be 27.2-31.1 in (69-79 cm) long. As compared to a 6 ft tall human, a red-footed booby is a quarter of the height. It can be from 25-36 in (63.5-91.4 cm) tall. 

How fast can a red-footed booby fly?

A red-footed booby can fly as fast as 60 miles per hour. This speed sets the booby apart from other birds as they can fly high at a fast pace.

How much does a red-footed booby weigh?

An average adult red-footed booby weighs around 30-39 oz (850-1100 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for male and female red-footed boobies. Both sexes are addressed as red-footed booby.

What would you call a baby red-footed booby?

A baby red-footed booby is commonly known as a red-footed booby chick.

What do they eat?

Red-footed boobies eat sea fish. They mostly target the flying fish as they are easy to catch in mid-air. Squid is also one of their favorite foods.

Are they aggressive?

Their behavior can be mild and aggressive. Red-footed boobies are territorial birds, mostly males. They can get pretty aggressive if they feel someone is hogging their territory.

Would they make a good pet?

Red-footed boobies eat freshly caught fish. If you stay near a coastal region or the Galapagos Islands, it might be possible to have a red-footed booby for a pet. But it is to be noted that boobies live in colonies and might feel lonely alone and, with lack of a mate, can get aggressive. Hence, it is very unlikely that they would make a good pet.

Did you know...

Female red-footed boobies weigh slightly more than male red-foot boobies.

The population of red-footed boobies on the Galapagos Islands has seen a remarkable increase since the year 2000.

The Galapagos Islands are a major location for breeding grounds of red-footed boobies.

Red-footed booby adaptations enable them to fly long distances over the seas.

Where do red-footed boobies nest?

Red-footed boobies build their nests near seashores of the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Galapagos Islands. Booby's nests are built on the top of the trees. Some of them use low-lying shrubs and bushes to nest. Most females lay eggs in low-lying shrubs since their treetop nests are unstable.

What do red-footed boobies not have?

Red-footed boobies are birds that do not have a brooding patch. A brooding patch is a bare skin on the underbelly of a bird to keep its eggs warm.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the Guam rail and the corncrake.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our Red-footed booby coloring pages.