Monday, October 31, 2016

Boobies (Blue, Red and Nazca)

One of the things you get to enjoy in the Galapagos is how close you get to the animals.  It was very cool to see them close up (although we weren't suppose to move closer than 6 feet).
This allowed us to see the various types of Booby Birds from close up.  Here they are.

Fist the famous Blue-Footed Boobies.
The Blue Footed Boobies usually hang out on rocks. They are the ones that eat closest to shore. Their feet (indicators of how healthy they are) get their color from the iridescent sardines in their diet.



Then there are the Nazca Boobies.
The Nazca Boobies are a purer white than the others and larger.  They feed from 5 to 10 miles off the coast.




Finally there are the Red Footed Boobies.
They feed the farthest from shore (like 10 - 30 miles). They are also the only Booby that can curl it's toes, so they roost in mangroves and scrubs.