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Brown Booby
(Sula leucogaster)
 German name(s): "Weißbauchtölpel"
Size:
65-75 cm (male),
70-80 cm (female);
wing span
1.2 - 1.4 m (male),
1.3-1.5 m (female);
Weight:
up to 1.0 kg (male),
up to 1.3 kg (female)
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Brown Boobies are big seabirds with brown-and-white
plumage.
Seen from above, Brown Boobies are all dark-brown; on
the underside the breast, belly, vent and greater coverts
are white.
Male
Brown Boobies have a bluish facial mask, whereas
females
do not have any blue at the base of the yellowish-grey bill.
The irises of both sexes are white. The legs and feet are
yellowish-grey.
In immature
Brown Boobies the parts that are white in
adults start off
in mottled brown plumage,
which gradually turns white.
Juveniles
have dark-brown plumage
with a heavily mottled front.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Brown
Booby at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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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
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The global distribution of the Brown Booby is available
HERE
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There are 4 extant races of Brown Boobies, which are birds of the
tropical oceans all around the globe.
Nominate race
"leucogaster"
populates the Caribbean and Atlantic islands.
Race
"plotus"
is present in the Pacific Ocean and westward to the Indian Ocean
and the Red Sea.
Race "brewsteri" is found along the Pacific coast of North America
and Mexico, while
race "etesiaca" lives along the coastlines of central America and in
Colombia.
In Europe, Brown Boobies, nominate race
"leucogaster",
are vagrants, mostly along the coastlines of Iberia.
There are only a few other reported sightings in the
western Mediterranean and in Ireland and Cornwall, England.
Brown Boobies are commonly found on the
open sea, coastal waters and offshore islands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "leucogaster"
J. Pires reports finding Brown
Boobies, nominate race
"leucogaster",
at Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, first in 2019, then
again in August 2022.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by J. Pires.
Race "plotus"
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Photos |
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Race "leucogaster"
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ADULT |
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Lateral/ventral view of a Brown Booby in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, August 2022]
Race "plotus"
Photos of Brown Boobies, race
"plotus",
were taken in
Australia.
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.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
