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Masked Booby


Kingdom: Animalia       Phylum: Chordata       Class: Aves (Birds)      Order: Ciconiiformes       Family: Sulidae
Masked Booby

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra) is a rare visitor to western coast of India and probably breeds in Lakshadweep islands.

Identification: Size 82-92 cm. Wingspan: 68 inches. Sexes similar. Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed. Large bird that dives for fish from air. Takes 2 to 3 years to reach adult plumage. Adult birds have white head, body and wing coverts, with dark primaries, secondaries, and tail. Dark patches on back. Dark mask. Large, greenish to pale yellow, pointed bill. Grayish legs and feet. Immature birds have a dark brownish head and upperparts separated by light collar.

Similar species: The very similar adult Nazca Booby has an orange, not yellow, bill. Adult Masked Booby can be separated from other black and white boobies by the entirely dark secondaries and dark tail. Immature boobies are very difficult to identify. Brown Booby and Red-footed Booby have darker bellies. Blue-footed has a white rump patch and a more horizontal demarcation between the dark upper breast and the white belly.
 


Anseriformes Apodiformes Bucerotiformes Caprimulgiformes Charadriiformes Ciconiiformes Columbiformes Coraciiformes Cuculiformes
 
Falconiformes Galliformes Gaviiformes Gruiformes Passeriformes Pelecaniformes Phoenicopteriformes Piciformes Podicipediformes
 
Procellariiformes Psittaciformes Pteroclidiformes  Strigiformes  Trogoniformes Turniciformes Upupiformes