Blue-Footed Booby Day

The blue-footed booby is perhaps one of the Galapagos’ best-loved and most photographed birds. And the name never fails to provoke smile. Booby comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means ‘stupid’ or ‘fool’/ ‘clown’ because on land they are at their most clumsy and seem awkward.

For the males, the bluer the feet, the more attractive he is to a potential mate. During mating rituals he shows them off by stomping his feet in a step-like dance and flapping his wings. Boobies use their feet to keep their eggs warm and both males and females take turns to incubate them, while the other keeps guard.

Boobies live off the western coasts of Central and South America but are most easily seen on the Galapagos Islands where almost half of the world’s breeding pairs are found. Unusually, their nostrils are permanently closed to make them exceptional divers and can drop into the water from heights of 24 m. They breathe through the corners of their mouths.

Friday 17 June is Blue-Footed Booby Day. Set up by the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT), funds are raised to help protect the unique animals of the Galapagos and support the Trust’s work. For more information visit http://www.savegalapagos.org/bluefootedboobyday/ or donate £2 by texting BFBD11 to 70070. For £25 you can adopt your own booby.