The Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii) is a large seabird (32 - 34") with a steely blue-gray long pointed bill. The neck and head are streaked pale brown. The tail, wings and back are dark brown; underparts are white as well as the nape and rump. Legs and feet are bright blue.
According to my references, Boobies received their name because they can be easily captured while asleep. They are generally silent; on their breeding grounds they trumpet and whistle.
Generally frequenting the open sea, boobies nest on small oceanic islands in colonies. Two or three whitish pale blue or green elliptical eggs are laid on the ground. This bird breeds from the Gulf of California all the way to Peru in South America. In the summer, boobies can be found in California's Salton Sea and sometimes along the southern California coast.
Boobies feed on fish that they catch by diving into the water , wings slightly folder, from high in the air, sometimes upwards of 100 feet.
Order: Pelecaniformes; Family: Sulidae; Genus/Species: Sula nebouxii