We spent the whole day on Genovesa Island, the island of the birds! Just 5.4 square miles, this island is home for thousands of birds. One of the most conspicuous and attractive bird species that occurs on Genovesa is the red-footed booby. It is estimated that its population on this small island is around 140,000 pairs, therefore Genovesa is the largest red-footed "boobery" in the world.
In the picture composition of today we can compare an adult red footed booby with a juvenile one. Adults are wholly grayish brown in color; they have pink and black facial skin surrounding their unusual blue beaks. One trait that is unmistakable is their red bright feet that are at the same time their trademark. In contrast, juveniles are not that colorful. Their plumage is uniformly brown, feet and beak are brown as well.
Red-footed boobies are the smallest of the three species of boobies that inhabit the Galapagos Islands. The red-footed boobies do not nest on the ground like their cousins, the blue-footed and the Nazca boobies; they nest in trees and shrubs. They are adapted to their arboreal life by having prehensile feet. Today we saw several red-footed boobies sit on their nesting sites, a few of them already had eggs. The breeding cycle lasts for more than a year, and is strongly influenced by the availability of food in the ocean. In the next months we will have many red-footed booby chicks on the islands, we will send some updates keeping you informed.
