Birds with blue and hot paws. Unusual bird blue-footed booby Bird with blue feet

The name of the bird species "boobies" (English "booby") comes from the Spanish "bobo", which means "stupid" or "funny" in translation, for which there are several explanations. Like many other seabird species, gannets are characterized by clumsiness and comedic movement on land. In addition, the birds are extremely trusting, they are not at all afraid of humans and easily make contact.

Description of the bird

Gannets are fairly large birds. The body length of adults is from 70 to 90 cm, the wingspan reaches 1.5-2 m, and the weight is 1.5-2.5 kg. When diving into the water, gannets reach speeds of up to 140 km / h. At the same time, the impact on the surface of the water is softened by special air sacs, which are located under the scalp.

The body of gannets is oval in shape, the neck is of medium length, the tail is short and blunt. The wings are long and narrow, making the birds hardy in flight. The legs are carried back, the paws are webbed. Small teeth are located along the edges of the sharp, straight beak, which gannets breathe, since their nasal openings are covered with feathers so as not to interfere with the birds diving. The eyes of the gannets are located in front, next to the beak, their vision is binocular. This allows the bird to see three-dimensional objects and determine the location of prey with the utmost accuracy.

The main colors in the plumage of this species are white and black (occasionally dark brown). The plumage is close to the body. The feet are usually dark or red, except for the blue-footed booby, which has bright blue feet.

Thus, due to their unique physique, gannets are excellent at flying, swimming and diving.

The basis of the diet of gannets is fish, especially flying fish, as well as cephalopods. The favorite delicacy of the bird is squid and fish from the herring family (sardines, herring, anchovies).

For prey, gannets can dive from a height of 10 to 30 m above the sea surface. At first, they carefully look out for their prey, looking ahead, thanks to their eyes located in front. And then sharply dive down and dive for fish. Gannets can stay under water for up to 40 seconds. Birds hunt both in groups and singly.

Sometimes gannets chase their relatives, who carry fish in their beaks, and take it away. Gannets can also take prey from other bird species.

When hunting, gannets often use the help of other animals. So, they can watch whales and dolphins that are catching schools of fish. While the former press the school to the surface of the water, the gannets attack it from above. Thus, by common efforts, marine inhabitants destroy almost all the fish in the school.

bird spread

Habitats various kinds boobies cover the whole Earth, and are found mainly in the equatorial and tropical zones. These birds inhabit the ocean and sea ​​coasts, and their largest concentrations are seen on the tropical islands of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, as well as along the coast of California, South Africa and in the Galapagos Islands.

Southern populations of gannets are sedentary, while those in the temperate zone are usually migratory.

Gannets are flocking birds, they form huge colonies numbering several tens of thousands of individuals.

Common types of boobies

An adult bird is from 65 to 75 cm in length, its weight is from 0.9 to 1.5 kg. The wingspan reaches 150 cm.

The body is streamlined, typical of boobies. The beak is long and sharp.

The species is common in tropical zone Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Rarely appears over land. Nesting colonies are located on tropical islands, far from the coast of the mainland, on atolls.

The body length of the red-footed booby reaches 70 cm, the wingspan is 1.5 m. The plumage is usually white, less often light gray or light brown. The rear edge of the wings is black. Paws are webbed, red. The beak is blue. Young red-footed boobies resemble brown boobies.

This species is widespread in the Pacific Ocean, large colonies are found on the island of Tobago. Nesting sites are tropical islands Pacific Ocean, sometimes - Indian and Atlantic.

The largest species of its kind. Body length from 75 to 85 cm, wingspan 160 - 170 cm, weight from 1.5 to 2.5 kg.

The bird is feathered white with black wing edges and a black mask on the face. The tail is black. The male has a bright yellow beak, the female has a greenish-yellow beak. The color of the head and abdomen of young birds is brownish, and their body and neck white color. At sea, the bird behaves quietly, and in the nesting colony it emits sharp, whistling cries.

The blue-faced booby lives in all the world's tropical oceans. In the south, its distribution area reaches Australia, South Africa and South America, in the north - the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern regions of the United States.

The body length of the bird is about 80 cm. Females are usually larger and heavier than males. Their mass reaches 1.5 kg. A distinctive feature of this species is the bright blue swimming membranes on the legs. The wings and tail are long and pointed. The plumage color is brown-white, the beak is gray-green. In females, a dark pigment ring is located around the pupils, due to which the eyes appear larger.

The species breeds mainly in the Galapagos Islands, where it is protected by law. It is less common in the Gulf of California islands, along the west coast of Mexico, on islands off Ecuador, and in northern Peru.

Sexual dimorphism is not typical for gannets, and males and females look the same, they do not differ in plumage color. Only in the blue-footed booby, the females are larger than the males.

Gannets are monogamous birds, they form pairs for at least several breeding seasons. There is an assumption that a pair of boobies stay together until one of the birds dies. Both parents are involved in incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks.

Gannets nest in colonies where they actively defend the territory near their nest. Egg laying can take place all year round. For example, on Christmas Island, its peak is seen from April to May. In nesting sites located on the east coast of Australia, laying occurs twice: in March-April and in June-October. On Rine Island, gannets lay their eggs in autumn, from September to November.

The bird builds its nest on the ground, the base is sand or gravel, less often - places overgrown with plants. The amount of nesting material varies depending on the region where the species lives. So, on deserted islands, gannets lay their eggs directly on the ground. In other areas, birds build nests from plants, twigs, algae, bones, feathers, and other material. The building material is brought by the male, he puts it in the nest, or passes it on to his female. The male and female complete the nest together. Sometimes gannets steal material for building a nest from their relatives.

In one clutch, the female usually has one or two eggs. They are incubated by both parents for 43 days. Chicks are born naked and blind. Their down plumage develops in three to four weeks. Weight Limit birds are gaining bodies at the age of about 80 days, at least by this time it is 1.4 kg. At 17 weeks, young birds are already fully ready to fly.

Interesting bird facts

• On the ground, gannets move sedately and clumsily, reminiscent of ducks. But in the air they change. Gannets have a gliding flight, they can soar over the ocean for a long time, only occasionally flapping their wings. In order to reduce energy consumption, they use ascending air currents that carry the bird over the water surface. Sometimes you can see an unusual spectacle when a booby seems to be hovering motionless in one place. During the flight, gannets usually lower their heads down and constantly peer into the depths of the ocean. Seeing the prey, the bird dives down, sometimes from a height of 30 m, and falls like a stone into the water. Air sacs protect the gannet from concussion when it collides with water. Due to the high fall speed (about 100 km / h), the birds can dive to a depth of 25 m, but the same air bags prevent further diving, and the birds quickly emerge like floats.
• In nature, gannets are hunted mainly predator birds, terrestrial predators cannot reach their impregnable nests. Young animals that have not yet learned to fly are prone to shark attacks.
• For humans, gannets are beneficial by creating reserves of litter (guano) in their nesting areas. Gannet droppings High Quality because it contains a lot of phosphorus. Guano harvested from the Peruvian gannet colonies is an export commodity in Peru.
• A feature of the blue-footed booby is not only the rich bright blue color of the legs, but also the fact that they are very warm. So warm that the bird warms their eggs with them, and at the same time maintains a temperature of 39 ° C. While other species of birds warm the clutches with their bodies, the blue-footed booby does this with the help of paws, in which blood circulation increases even more during this period. Who would have thought that such blue paws would be so warm!

This funny bird with blue paws is called the blue-footed booby. It breeds on small islands in the Gulf of California, in western Mexico, and on islands off Ecuador and Peru. In total, there are about 40 thousand pairs of these birds in the world.

The legs of this bird are not at all simple. Not only are they saturated bright blue, and this, you see, is unusual in itself, but they are also very warm! And so warm that they allow the bird to warm the eggs, maintaining the temperature in them as much as 39 degrees. It's really interesting: all other species of birds warm the masonry with their own bodies, and the blue-footed booby with their paws, in which blood circulation becomes especially intense. Who would have thought that blue legs could be hot.

The blue-footed booby is a bird of the gannet family that lives in tropical seas. In total, there are nine species of boobies on Earth. These birds have a wingspan of up to two meters, but they weigh relatively little from one and a half to three and a half kilograms, and the males are smaller than the females. The blue-footed booby is 80 cm long. Females tend to be larger and heavier than males. The legs of birds have bright blue swimming membranes. hallmark of this kind. The tail and wings are usually long and pointed. The plumage is brown-white, the beak is gray-green. Males have a dark pigment ring around the pupils, which visually enlarges their eyes. In nesting areas, their behavior towards people is bold.

The blue-footed booby breeds on dry islands in the Gulf of California, on the west coast of Mexico, on islands near Ecuador and northern Peru, but mainly in the Galapagos Islands. Of the 40,000 pairs, about half live in the Galapagos Islands, where blue-footed boobies are legally protected.

In length, their body is about eighty centimeters, with a weight of one and a half kilograms, and the females are slightly larger than the males. They have long, pointed wings and a small, neat tail. They are also distinguished by a strong massive neck. The eyes of these birds are located on the sides of the beak and look forward. They have excellent eyesight and yellow eyes. Note that in males, the iris is much brighter. Interestingly, the nostrils of gannets are always closed for diving, and they breathe through the corners of their mouths. The color of their paws varies from turquoise to light blue. Interestingly, in males and small chicks, they are the palest.

The blue-footed booby is a funny bird with sky-blue paws. It belongs to the gannet family and lives mainly near tropical seas.

origin of name

The origin of the name gannet is quite interesting. IN English language it sounds like booby, and comes from the Spanish bobo. This word can be translated as "clown", "fool" or "fool". This is due to the fact that on land it behaves rather clumsily. However, like most seabirds, which spend a significant part of their lives in the air or at sea. However, this is not the only reason. Man is not a source of fear for such a bird species as the blue-footed booby. Photos taken during their research convincingly prove that gannets are not afraid of human contact. And this, as you know, is not always safe.

Spreading

The blue-footed booby is found exclusively along the shores of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its habitat is the coast of the western coast of South and Central America, Mexico and Peru. In total, there are about 40 thousand pairs of these unusual birds in the world. are the main place chosen by the blue-footed booby. The habitat of this species is rocks, earth and trees, although birds use them mainly to create nests. Most of the time gannets spend at sea.

In the Galapagos Islands, blue-footed boobies are protected by law. There are nests of more than 20 thousand pairs of birds.

Appearance

home distinguishing feature boobies are, of course, paws of a rich blue, turquoise or light blue color. In chicks, the color of the paws is very light. In length, the birds reach 70-80 centimeters and weigh up to three kilograms, while females are slightly larger than males. The wingspan of these exotic birds reaches one and a half meters.

The plumage of the booby is brown with white. The features of its alternation give the blue-footed booby a "thorny look". The beak of this bird has a gray-green color. The eyes of the bird are located on the sides of the beak, but they look forward, which ensures its good vision. Birds have yellow eye, but males are much brighter than females. In addition, visually, their eyes appear larger due to the pigment ring that is located around the pupils.

The blue-footed booby breathes with the corners of its mouth, since its nostrils are always closed. This special device is necessary for the bird while diving.

Blue-footed booby. What does this exotic bird eat?

The gannet's diet consists mainly of fish. sardines and mackerel, mackerel. To catch such prey, birds dive into the water to a depth of 25 meters. At the same time, they can reach speeds under water up to 100 kilometers per hour. Sometimes you don't have to dive for food. Gannets can catch those that move above the surface of the sea.

In addition, these birds do not refuse to eat squid or the insides of large fish, which are found near Panama.

Hunting Features

The gannet can hunt alone, as well as in pairs or in packs. Such flocks, most often of twelve birds, fly over reservoirs in which small fish are found. If the flock notices the prey, all its members dive at the same time. They can do this from a height of several hundred meters. Caught fish gannets eat in the same place, under water.

An interesting fact is that they catch prey not while diving, but when emerging. This is due to the fact that the back of most fish is dark and merges in color with the water column. Therefore, being at a depth, it is quite difficult to notice them. The belly has a brighter color, besides it has a silvery pattern. This method of hunting is much more efficient.

The blue-footed booby (kuksha), which hunts on its own, never dines with the rest of the flock. They try to keep to themselves. Hunting for fish most often occurs in the early morning or evening.

The methods of hunting males and females are different. First of all it involves their bodies. Since females are heavier, they can dive much deeper and catch larger fish. The body of males is much lighter, so they are not able to descend to a considerable depth. However, nature rewarded them with a large tail, which helps to fish in the gorges. Thus, if a couple raises chicks, the male brings them food much more often, but it is small.

mating dance

If one of the birds is distinguished by special behavior in a pair, it is the blue-footed booby. The mating dance is performed by the male in order to attract the attention of the female he likes. During his “performance”, the male tries to focus on his paws, because the brighter they are, the more likely they are to create a pair. He stretches his neck, sticks out his sharp tail and raises his bright paws in turn. When performing a dance, the bird accompanies it with an impatient whistle.

After the courtship of the gentleman has been accepted, the boobies bow, after which the dance is repeated again, but already joint. They raise and lower their paws, as if agreeing in this way on the construction of joint housing. In addition, the male presents his girlfriend with a bright twig, which subsequently goes to build a nest. Only after this the rite is considered completed.

Difficulties in choosing a partner

Scientists have proven that the brighter the color of the paws of the male, the more eggs the female can lay. Careful selection of a partner is also connected with the fact that the female needs to distribute the amount of resources that will be allocated for one egg. A large number of eggs in a clutch means less yolk in each, but if the parents have good genetics, the offspring will have a better chance of surviving.

However, the color of the legs matters not only during the choice of partners by females. Males also pay attention to this. A female with brighter paws is able to lay more eggs, and male boobies will pay special attention to them. If the eggs in the clutch differ in size, then parental care will be directed to those that are larger.

In the case when the color of the paws of individuals is the same, the birds will take good care of all the offspring, regardless of what size they are.

reproduction

The blue-footed booby builds its nest in small holes, which the pair trample together in the ground. At the same time, the nests of different pairs are located at a considerable distance from each other. The nesting period for gannets lasts a whole year. Every eight months, the female lays two to three eggs. Such a small amount is due to the fact that birds warm them not with the heat of their bodies, but with the help of their paws. During the mating season, blood flow to the limbs increases, and their temperature, respectively, rises to + 39 °. Increased blood flow also contributes to the swelling and compaction of the paws. The male and female incubate the offspring alternately for 45 days, until the chicks are born. Gannets are considered monogamous birds, but there are cases when they have several partners.

cubs

Many birds take care of their offspring. The blue-footed booby does the same. Chicks are born very small and helpless, but soon their body is covered with thick down. For the first month, the cubs cannot independently control their body temperature. Only after some time the down is replaced by feathers. The chicks remain in the nest for three months, and only after that they leave it.

To ensure the survival of the offspring, gannets are forced to constantly hunt and bring them food. The male often does this, but if there is little food, the female can also start hunting. Sometimes a pair will leave the nest together, but this behavior is quite dangerous. natural enemies gannet chicks are skuas and frigatebirds. They destroy nests left unattended. If gannets lose offspring, they begin to lay eggs again, but monitor them more carefully.

After the young leave the nest, they immediately throw themselves into the sea, although they still do not know how to swim or fly at that age. Each bird has special air sacs under its skin that prevent the chicks from diving. They learn to do this as their weight increases.

Sexual maturity in these tropical birds occurs at the age of 3-4 years.

Why boobies have blue feet

The blue color of the paws of the booby is provided by a special pigment - a carotenoid. It is constantly produced in poultry organisms due to a diet rich in fresh sea ​​fish. In addition, this pigment is an antioxidant and stimulates the immune system. Thus, the color of the paws of a young and healthy bird will be much brighter. If fresh fish is removed from the blue-footed booby's diet, the color of its paws becomes dimmer after only 48 hours. The fact is that for the production of carotenoids, a sufficient amount of lipids is needed, the source of which is marine fish.

The unusual color of the paws plays a significant role during the display period. It is on them that the blue-footed booby first of all pays attention. Why do blue paws attract females? Bright color- This is a sign of good health and a strong immune system of the male. As for females of other animals, the main thing for the gannet is to get genetically healthy offspring. Therefore, she will rather choose a male with aquamarine or rich blue paws. Males, whose paws are gray-blue, risk being left without a pair. With age, the saturation of colors in males decreases significantly, which does not contribute to the growth of their popularity among females.

Rules of life for blue-footed boobies

1. Most of the life of gannets spend in the sea. They need land only to nest and raise offspring.

2. It may happen that a couple is unable to catch enough food for their offspring. In this case, the largest and strongest of the chicks is selected, and the gannets give all the food they get to him. In this way, they ensure the survival of at least one chick so that it becomes strong enough to continue its kind.

3. Blue-footed boobies can communicate with each other. They make hoarse cries and whistles. Such communication plays an important role both during mating season, and later, when there is a need for joint upbringing of offspring.

4. Scientists still have not been able to establish the time during which gannets can remain under water. The options change from a few seconds to two minutes. The maximum depth to which they dive when hunting for fish is also unknown.

5. Modern gannets do not build full-fledged nests. They trample a depression in the ground and fence it off with a small number of twigs.

6. Blue-footed boobies are one of the few birds of their kind whose families can be called "large". Often, representatives of the genus gannets have only one chick.

The blue-footed booby is a funny bird with sky-blue paws. It belongs to the gannet family and lives mainly near tropical seas.

The blue-footed booby is found exclusively along the shores of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its habitat is the coast of the Gulf of California, the western coast of South and Central America, Mexico and Peru. In total, there are about 40 thousand pairs of these unusual birds in the world. The Galapagos Islands are the main destination for the blue-footed booby. The habitat of this species is rocks, earth and trees, although birds use them mainly to create nests. Most of the time gannets spend at sea. In the Galapagos Islands, blue-footed boobies are protected by law. There are nests of more than 20 thousand pairs of birds.

The main distinguishing feature of the booby is, of course, the paws of a rich blue, turquoise or light blue color. In chicks, the color of the paws is very light. In length, the birds reach 70-80 centimeters and weigh up to three kilograms, while females are slightly larger than males. The wingspan of these exotic birds reaches one and a half meters. The plumage of the booby is brown with white. The features of its alternation give the blue-footed booby a "thorny look". The beak of this bird has a gray-green color. The eyes of the bird are located on the sides of the beak, but they look forward, which ensures its good vision. Birds have yellow eyes, but the iris of males is much brighter than that of females. In addition, visually, their eyes appear larger due to the pigment ring that is located around the pupils.

Why boobies have blue feet The blue color of booby's feet comes from a special pigment called carotenoid. It is constantly produced in the organisms of birds through a diet rich in fresh marine fish. In addition, this pigment is an antioxidant and stimulates the immune system. Thus, the color of the paws of a young and healthy bird will be much brighter. If fresh fish is removed from the blue-footed booby's diet, the color of its paws becomes dimmer after only 48 hours. The fact is that for the production of carotenoids, a sufficient amount of lipids is needed, the source of which is marine fish.

Blue-footed booby (lat. Sula nebouxii) - an inhabitant of warm tropical seas. It breeds on small islands in the Gulf of California, in western Mexico, and on islands off Ecuador and Peru. However, most of all she likes the Galapagos Islands, where more than half of all representatives of the species have their nests: the birds seem to know that they are protected by law here. In total, there are about 40 thousand pairs of blue-footed boobies in the world.

The legs of this bird are not at all simple. Not only are they saturated bright blue, and this, you see, is unusual in itself, but they are also very warm! And so warm that they allow the bird to warm the eggs, maintaining the temperature in them as much as 39 degrees. That's really interesting: all other species of birds warm the masonry with their own bodies, the blue-footed booby - with their paws, in which blood circulation becomes especially intense. Who would have thought that blue legs could be hot.

The bird itself is of medium size - its body length is 70-90 cm and weighs from 0.7 to 1.5 kg. At the same time, females are larger than males. The pointed wings and tail combined with the long beak give the gannet some angularity. The chest is white, the wings are brown, the head is decorated with light brown streaks, the tail is brown-white.

Blue legs in males play a significant role during the breeding season, because females prefer partners with bright blue legs, and they try to bypass those with blue-gray limbs. During courtship, the birds perform a funny dance, shifting from foot to foot, and playfully turn away from each other.

When long ago the ancestors of modern blue-footed boobies built nests, today's pairs prefer to simply trample a small depression in the ground and fence it off with a few branches. There are only 1-2 white eggs in the clutch, however, more bird with her wonderful legs and could not warm.

Both parents are engaged in incubation all 40 days. When small and naked chicks are born, they do not get off their mother's or father's feet for some time, being afraid to freeze. However, soon their body is covered with fluff, and the kids quickly gain weight. Over time, the fluff is replaced by feathers, and already at the age of 3.5 months, the chicks leave their parental shelter. They become sexually mature only at 3-4 years of age.

Interestingly, the word "gannet" is translated from Spanish as "stupid" - all because gannets are very gullible and easy to catch. But is it possible to compare gullibility with stupidity? Moreover, gannets are quite smart, in any case, they came up with their own way to get food.

First, the bird soars in the air, looking for a suitable fish, and then rapidly dives down, sometimes diving to a depth of 25 meters. So what, - you say - so many people know how. Yes, only blue-footed boobies catch fish not during the diving itself, but when emerging. It's just that the fish usually have a dark back, so it's hard to see them, and the belly is brighter with a shiny silvery pattern. They outwitted the same "stupid" boobies of marine life!

And sometimes blue-footed boobies do not even have to dive: they catch flying fish in the air, which move carelessly above the surface of the sea.