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Masked Booby

Avibase Complete Checklist Additions

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Sula dactylatra

Basic stats

Diet

Mainly flying fish

Habitat

Colonies on islands and atolls far from the mainland

Range

Tropical oceans except the eastern Atlantic and eastern Pacific

Clutch size

2 eggs

Size

75–85cm

The masked booby, also called the blue-faced booby or masked gannet, is the largest booby, 75 to 85 cm long. The adult is bright white with black wings and tail, a dark face mask, a long pointed yellowish bill and a long neck. The sexes look alike. It ranges across tropical oceans except in the eastern Atlantic and eastern Pacific, where the Nazca booby, once counted as a subspecies, replaces it (Wikipedia, general species account).

It nests in colonies, generally on islands and atolls far from the mainland and close to deep water. The female lays two chalky white eggs in a shallow depression on bare flat ground, and the second chick usually does not survive, killed by its elder sibling. It is a spectacular plunge diver taking mainly flying fish (Wikipedia, general species account).

Quick answers

What does the Masked Booby eat?
Mainly flying fish
What habitat does the Masked Booby live in?
Colonies on islands and atolls far from the mainland
Where is the Masked Booby found?
Tropical oceans except the eastern Atlantic and eastern Pacific
How many eggs does the Masked Booby lay?
2 eggs
How big is the Masked Booby?
75–85cm
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