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Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) Alternate name(s): "Blue-faced Booby", "Masked Gannet" Size: 75-85 cm; wing span 1.6-1.7 m Body mass:1.2-2.35 kg Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.85

Australia: Family Group 4 Family Group 4 Table Australian Pelican Red-tailed Tropicbird White-tailed Tropicbird Great Frigatebird Lesser Frigatebird Australasian Gannet Masked Booby Red-footed Booby Brown Booby Darter Great Cormorant Little Black Cormorant Little Pied Cormorant Pied Cormorant Black-faced Cormorant Imperial Shag Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Masked Boobies are big seabirds with a predominantly white plumage. The upper side of the back of the wing is black from the alula inwards to the tertiaries, on the underwing the entire trailing edge has a dark-grey edge. The cap is white; the whiteish eyes are surrounded by a dark patch that extends to the chin. The tail feathers are also black, while the legs and feet are light-grey. Males have an all-yellow bill; in females the bill has a green base. Juveniles have mottled plumage in various hues of grey, with a white belly, neck ring and parts of the underwing. The head and neck are greyish-brown. In immature birds the mottled plumage gradually turns black-and-white.

Taxonomy, classification See Masked Booby at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Masked Booby is available HERE . Masked Boobies are birds of the tropical seas all around the globe. Masked Boobies reach the Australian shores only in the northern half of the continent, from about Exmouth, WA, in the West to the QLD/NSW border in the East. Race "personata" is found mostly (but not exclusively) to the North-west of the Australian continent. Northward of the Australian continent there is a hybrid zone, while race "tasmani" is most commonly found along the north-eastern and eastern coastline of Australia. This race is known to breed on Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and the Kermadec islands. Masked Boobies are commonly found on the open sea, coastal waters and offshore islands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "personata" B. Hensen reports spotting Masked Boobies, race "personata", off Muttonbird Point on Lord Howe Island in November 2014. M. Eaton found an immature Masked Booby, race "personata", on Michaelmas Cay, QLD, in October 2024. Race "tasmani" M. Mearns reports spotting Masked Boobies, race "tasmani", off the coast of Norfolk Island in January 2008. B. Hensen reports spotting Masked Boobies, race "tasmani", off Muttonbird Point on Lord Howe Island in November 2014.

Photos

Race "personata"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view onto the underparts of a Masked Booby - note the golden iris characteristic of race "personata"
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature Masked Booby looking at the observer - note the golden irises that are characteristic of race "personata" (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Lateral view of an immature Masked Booby (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Near-dorsal view of an immature Masked Booby looking back at the observer; in the foreground a Ruddy Turnstone
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Near-dorsal view of an immature Masked Booby looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Race "tasmani"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of an adult Masked Booby - note the dark iris that is characteristic of race "tasmani" (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a Masked Booby (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Ventral view of a Masked Booby in flight looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Norfolk Island, January 2008]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Colony of Masked Boobies nesting in tall grass; at front left a nestling can be seen (with its white downy plumage and grey bill), at the top right one can see part of the mottled-grey plumage of a juvenile, fledged bird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Nov

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: ca. 44 days

Fledging age: ca. 120 days

Depending on geographic latitude and conditions, Masked Boobies can breed almost any time of the year. The period listed in the table above indicates the peak breeding season. Usally only one chick will survive to fledging age.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape

Material: Soil, grass

Height above ground: N/A

Colony of Masked Boobies nesting in tall grass; at the centre an adult bird with a begging nestling (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Colony of Masked Boobies nesting in tall grass; at front left a nestling can be seen (with its white downy plumage and grey bill), at the top right one can see part of the mottled-grey plumage of a juvenile, fledged bird (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Muttonbird Point, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 65 x 44 mm

Colour: Off-white

Shape: Tapered oval

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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