Latin name : Sula nebouxi

Population : 10000 couples
Max. weight : male 1,2 kgs / female 1,8 kgs
Wingspan : 0.7 to 0.9 metres
Lifespan : 15 to 20 years

The blue-footed booby is the most common of the three species of booby present on the archipelago. Their mating ritual is highly organized and quite comic (see photos below). The male raises each of his blue feet one by one in a slow and deliberate stepping motion, then pointing his beak toward the sky he spreads his wings and whistles. Meanwhile, the female buries her beak in her plumage!

Reproduction:
The couple build their nest on the coast during the cold season (May to December). They produce two eggs which hatch after 45 days of incubation. The two fledglings can be raised together if food resources are sufficient. The male, who is the better swimmer, takes care of bringing home the food, while the fatter female stays in the nest to protect her young from the sun and potential predators. The young birds, once fully grown, learn to fly and fish with their parents, becoming independent after two months or so.

The art of fishing
The blue-footed booby fishes near the coast. They sometimes fish in groups so as to carry out simultaneous manoeuvres. Groups of several hundred birds have been observed hunting schools of small fish.