masked booby

seabird

Also known as: Sula dactylatra, blue-faced booby

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June 18, 2026

Quick Summary

The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) is a species of large tropical seabird belonging to the family Sulidae. These seabirds are found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Masked boobies have long bills, cigar-shaped bodies, and long, angular wings. They hunt for fish and squid by plunging headfirst into the water from high above.1

Boobies, including the masked booby, nest in colonies and exhibit territorial behavior through ritualized displays. Courtship involves elaborate dances, and they lay their eggs on the ground in simple nests. The name "booby" comes from their tameness around humans. They are adapted to hot climates, using behaviors like shading their bodies and fluttering their throat pouches to cool down.12

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pelecaniform
Reproduction
The masked booby (Sula dactylatra), for example, breeds in dense colonies on islets off Ascension Island but in dispersed patterns on Christmas Island (Pacific). Breeding in a number of species is normally dispersed; the red-footed cormorant (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) of South America, for instance, often nests on…
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The masked booby (Sula dactylatra), for example, breeds in dense colonies on islets off Ascension Island but in dispersed patterns on Christmas Island (Pacific). Breeding in a number of species is normally dispersed; the red-footed cormorant (Phalacrocorax gaimardi) of South America, for instance, often nests on…
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booby
…booby (Sula sula) and the masked, or blue-faced, booby (S. dactylatra) are wide-ranging in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. The blue-footed booby (S. nebouxii) occurs in the Pacific from southern California to northern Peru and on the Galápagos Islands. Boobies’ bills are long,
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…booby (Sula sula) and the masked, or blue-faced, booby (S. dactylatra) are wide-ranging in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. The blue-footed booby (S. nebouxii) occurs in the Pacific from southern California to northern Peru and on the Galápagos Islands. Boobies’ bills are long,
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pelecaniform
Physiological adaptations
The masked booby in the Galapagos, for example, stands with its back to the sun, thus shading its feet and naked throat pouch and permitting loss of heat by convection and conduction. It elevates its scapular (shoulder) feathers and droops its wings, allowing maximum exposure of…
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The masked booby in the Galapagos, for example, stands with its back to the sun, thus shading its feet and naked throat pouch and permitting loss of heat by convection and conduction. It elevates its scapular (shoulder) feathers and droops its wings, allowing maximum exposure of…
Read More