Photo by James Watt

The Red-footed Booby is smaller and faster-flying than any of the other boobies. It has a wingspan of only 3 feet and an average life span of 22 years. It is polymorphic with four principle morphs occurring: brown, white-tailed brown, white, and white with a black tail. Adults have red feet and legs as well as pink or pale blue bills. Juveniles are completely brown or blackish-gray with a black bill and facial skin. Food is typically caught by diving down to depths of sometimes 30 meters to pursue prey. Unlike other boobies that lay eggs on the ground, the Red-footed Booby will make a crudely built nest of sticks in shrubs or trees.

Red-footed Booby
(Sula sula rubripes)

	Tropical seas
	Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed
	Primarily flying fish and squid
The status of this species is representative of the populations within the waters of this Sanctuary only, not global populations.
	Male and female Red-footed Boobies share incubation duties with individual incubation shifts averaging about 24 hours.
	- Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge - Patuxent Wildlife Research Center - Bishop Museum