Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-footed Booby
Sula sula
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) — Seabirds & Tubenoses of Oceans & Seabirds.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a member of the Sulidae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Suliformes
- Family Sulidae Gannets, Boobies
- Genus Sula
- Species sula
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Sulidae
- Order
- Suliformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-footed Booby hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Red-footed Booby is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) is a member of the Sulidae family, within the order Suliformes. It occurs naturally across Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers TrO widespread tropical and subtropical ocean is.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1 kg, with a wing length of about 36.7 cm and a tail of around 19.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 122.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-footed Booby?
The Red-footed Booby is a very large bird that weighs around 1 kg.
Where does the Red-footed Booby live?
The Red-footed Booby is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering TrO widespread tropical and subtropical ocean is, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Red-footed Booby belong to?
The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) belongs to the Sulidae family, in the order Suliformes.
What does the Red-footed Booby eat?
The Red-footed Booby hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Red-footed Booby migrate?
The Red-footed Booby is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Red-footed Booby endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-footed Booby make?
1 real field recording of the Red-footed Booby — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-footed Booby's range?
The Red-footed Booby has a mapped global range of about 122.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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