Is a booby bird real?

What is Abbot’s booby?

Abbott’s Booby – Abbott’s Booby is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. It belongs to the monotypical genus Papasula.

How did the booby get its name?

The name booby comes from the Spanish word bobo (“stupid”, “foolish”, or “clown”) because the blue-footed booby is, like other seabirds, clumsy on land. They are also regarded as foolish for their apparent fearlessness of humans. 1⁄4 lb), with the female being slightly larger than the male. Its wings are long, pointed, and brown in color.

Where did the abbot’s booby come from?

It was first identified from a specimen collected by William Louis Abbott, who discovered it on Assumption Island in 1892. Abbott’s booby breeds only in a few spots on the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, although it formerly had a much wider range.

What kind of bird is Abbot’s booby?

Abbott’s Booby. Abbott’s Booby is a large endangered seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae. It belongs to the monotypical genus Papasula. Found normally only on and around Christmas Island , it is the sole living member of the genus Papasula.

What does an Abbott’s booby look like?

Videos and images Abbott’s booby perched on branch Abbott’s booby is a large slender-bodied, black-and-white seabird. The head, neck and underparts are white whilst the black upperwing has white flecking and a narrow white leading edge.

Is the Abbott’s booby endangered?

The Abbott’s Booby is classified as Endangered (EN), considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The Abbott’s Booby now breeds only on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, although formerly it bred on other Indian Ocean islands.

Why is it called a booby bird?

The “booby” part of this seabird’s name is derived from the Spanish word, “bobo,” which translates to “fool,” “stupid,” or “clown.” There are a few reasons why this booby would be called clownish or foolish. For one, the bird looks like a clown with its blue bill and large red webbed feet.

When did the booby diverge from the blue footed booby?

A 2011 study of multiple genes calculated the two species diverged between 1.1 and 0.8 million years ago. The name booby comes from the Spanish word bobo (“stupid”, “foolish”, or “clown”) because the blue-footed booby is, like other seabirds, clumsy on land.

Where do Abbott’s boobies nest?

The Abbott’s booby is a seabird that only nests in one place in the world – the plateau rainforests of Christmas Island. In some parts of the island, human settlement and phosphate mining removed the original tall evergreen forest, leading to the loss of countless Abbott’s boobies.

What is the origin of the word’booby’?

The word has been used to mean dunce or nincompoop since at least the late 16th century and that’s the ‘booby’ of ‘booby prize’ and ‘booby trap’. The word probably derives from the Spanish word ‘bobo’ meaning ‘fool’ or ‘dunce’. An example of that usage, as ‘bobie’, comes in The Pleasant Comodie of Patient Grissill, 1599:

Is Abbott’s booby in the genus Papasula?

Abbott’s booby was formerly included in Sula but is now placed in a monotypic genus Papasula, which represents an ancient lineage perhaps closer to Morus . Some authorities consider that all ten species should be considered congeneric in Sula.

Where does the Abbott’s booby live?

The Abbott’s Booby now breeds only on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, although formerly it bred on other Indian Ocean islands. At sea it is mainly seen in the waters around Christmas Island.

Why is the abbot’s booby endangered?

Abbott’s booby is listed under CITES Appendix I, and is classified as endangered in the IUCN Redlist. It is also classified as endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Many Abbott’s boobies are in the National Park, so their nests are monitored.

How does the Abbott’s Booby adapt to its environment?

The Abbott’s Booby is able to travel long-distances, up to thousands of kilometres from Christmas Island. This large seabird is well-adapted to long-distance flight. Due to the long, narrow wings, it needs a clear space to land and to take off. As it nests in tall trees, it can get enough lift from the wind.

Are booby traps named after boobs or breasts?

No, they are not named after boobs or breasts, “booby traps” apparently date back to the 1600’s of Spanish origin from Spain. Very similar to our modern slang an animal or human being who is led into a trap is often called a “boob” or fool, whether the naive trust is ignorant or stupid.

What is a blue footed booby?

Blue-footed booby. It is one of six species of the genus Sula – known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female.

How do blue-footed boobies swim?

The Blue-footed Booby bird can also dive for fish while it is in a swimming position. Blue-footed Boobies have a very elaborate mating ritual. The male raises one blue foot in the air, then the other, as he struts in front of the female. His movements make him appear to be dancing as he stamps his blue feet up and down on the ground.

Why is the Abbott’s Boobie so important?

Perfectly adapted for long-range flight, Abbott’s boobies spend most of their life at sea hunting for fish and squid. They return to Christmas Island to nest in the tall rainforest trees of the high plateau, the last nesting habitat on the planet for this threatened species. The island supports approximately 3,000 breeding pairs.

Where does the Abbott’s Booby live?

The Abbott’s booby was once found throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans. Now Christmas Island is its only nesting habitat. This large seabird has a white body with black upper wings and tail.

What is booby?

One of the Saylers espying a Bird fitly called a Booby, hee mounted to the top-mast and tooke her. The foolish quality of which Bird is to sit still, not valuing danger.