Rising Tide Images
Brown Morph Booby
The brown morph plumage is the least common phenotype of the red-footed booby in the Hawaiian Islands. This one appears to have dark morph, white-tailed plumage. The red-footed booby, known locally as ‘ā, eats fish and squid caught by plunge diving and is also known to catch airborne flying fish skimming the surface of the water. ‘Ā have acute vision and are able to easily see their prey of fish and squid under water as they soar over the ocean. Their visual acuity is contrast enhanced by carotenoid pigments that assist seeing through the air/water interface. ‘Ā, red-footed booby, Sula sula.
Brown Morph Booby
The brown morph plumage is the least common phenotype of the red-footed booby in the Hawaiian Islands. This one appears to have dark morph, white-tailed plumage. The red-footed booby, known locally as ‘ā, eats fish and squid caught by plunge diving and is also known to catch airborne flying fish skimming the surface of the water. ‘Ā have acute vision and are able to easily see their prey of fish and squid under water as they soar over the ocean. Their visual acuity is contrast enhanced by carotenoid pigments that assist seeing through the air/water interface. ‘Ā, red-footed booby, Sula sula.