Rising Tide Images
Red-Footed Juvenile
A red-footed booby in juvenile plumage skirts the shoreline before heading out to sea. Known as ‘ā in Hawaii, boobies have excellent visual acuity, contrast enhanced by carotenoid pigments that assist seeing through the air/water interface, and are able to easily locate their prey of fish and squid under water. It has a stout, tapered, saw-toothed bill with internal nostrils that is well evolved for plunge diving into the ocean from heights of as high as 30 meters to catch a meal. Agile fliers, they are also able to catch flying fish gliding over the ocean surface.
Red-Footed Juvenile
A red-footed booby in juvenile plumage skirts the shoreline before heading out to sea. Known as ‘ā in Hawaii, boobies have excellent visual acuity, contrast enhanced by carotenoid pigments that assist seeing through the air/water interface, and are able to easily locate their prey of fish and squid under water. It has a stout, tapered, saw-toothed bill with internal nostrils that is well evolved for plunge diving into the ocean from heights of as high as 30 meters to catch a meal. Agile fliers, they are also able to catch flying fish gliding over the ocean surface.