Red-footed booby Sula sula. Blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii. A booby is a seabird in the genus Sula , part of the Sulidae family. Boobies are closely related to the gannets Morus , which were formerly included in Sula. The English name "booby" was possibly based on the Spanish slang term bobo , meaning "stupid", [6] as these tame birds had a habit of landing on board sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten. Owing to this, boobies are often mentioned as having been caught and eaten by shipwrecked sailors, notably William Bligh of the Bounty and his adherents during their famous voyage after being set adrift by Fletcher Christian and his followers.
BOOBY | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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Often mocked for its comical appearance, the blue-footed booby certainly has unique looks. The blue-footed booby has white central tail feathers, white under parts and a white patch where its back meets its neck. Its wings are long, brown, pointed and span some five feet. Its most prominent feature -- bright blue webbed feet -- makes it clumsy on land but graceful in the water. Nearly half of all breeding pairs live on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador.
A palette of colors helps us distinguish between the three beautiful species of boobies that populate the Galapagos. So, without further ado, we present you with the three types of boobies in the Galapagos. Red-footed boobies can be spotted at Genovesa, San Cristobal and some can also be seen at Punta Pitt. Compensating for their relatively small size with both their abilities in the air and water, the red-footed booby is actually the smallest of the trio.