One of the most famous and charismatic inhabitants of the Galapagos island, the blue-footed booby, is almost like a cartoon character.
With their bright blue feet, beady eyes, and overall whimsical look, what’s not to love!
Native to tropical and subtropical and regions of the Pacific, from California all the way down to Peru.
These unique birds are mainly marine birds and the only time they are on land is to breed and train the youngsters.
The boobies are mainly marine birds; they spend very little time on land much of which is used for breeding and clown training for the little ones.
Their feet are blue due to pigments called carotenoids found in the fish they eat making the feet a more intense color of blue.
The reason for having blue feet is a mix of both managing their immune system and signaling to ‘woo’ and ultimately attract a mate.
Studies have even shown that the foot color reflects paternal contribution to raising offspring.
This means chicks raised by brighter footed males grow faster than those raised by duller footed males.
Unlike most other birds, the male and female are almost entirely identical.
