Common name:
Blue-footed booby
Scientific name:
Sula nebouxii
Spanish name:
Piquero patas azules
Conservation status:
Least Concern
Average lifespan:
17 years
Average size:
81 centimetres long
Maximum size:
85 centimetres long; 1.5 metre wingspan
Average weight:
1.5 kilograms
Maximum weight:
2 kilograms
Blue-footed boobies are one of three booby species found on Galapagos. They are large, distinctive birds, found along the Eastern Pacific coastline where they often nest on small islands with rocky coasts. Their name comes from the Spanish word ‘bobo’, meaning foolish or clown – referring to their clumsy movement on land. They were also thought of as foolish due to their fearlessness of humans, and the fact that they could be caught whilst sleeping! Their plumage is brown on top, with a white rump and black tail, whilst their underparts are white. The most distinctive characteristic of the blue-footed booby is its large blue feet, which play an important role in courtship. Females are thought to select males with brighter feet, as they are an indicator of his overall condition and thus the quality of his genes. Females tend to be larger than males, and have darker blue feet than males and younger birds.
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"45% of all plastic used along the Pacific coastline of South and Central America is inadequately managed, leaking 1 million tonnes of plastic each year."
Our Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme is a multi-million pound, multi-year project, which feeds into broader work looking to tackle pollution across the Eastern Pacific region.
Support our vital conservation work and celebrate three of the most iconic bird species in Galapagos: the blue-footed, red-footed and Nazca booby.
