This triumvirate of birds is among the Galapagos’ most iconic species.
The Blue-footed Booby has gained fame for its fancy footwork during its courtship displays (April to August, peak is June to August). The brighter the feet, the healthier the bird!
Luckily, the Blue-footed Booby is a permanent Galápagos resident, seen almost everywhere, and unperturbed by humans.
Similarly striking is the Red-footed Booby, whose bright feet can often be seen protruding from its preferred shrub nesting sites. They can amass in huge numbers when breeding on Genovesa in the north, with smaller populations on San Cristobal.
The less well-known Nazca Booby is a large seabird with a distinctive yellow-orange bill. It will delight with its group, missile-style diving hunting technique, called plunge diving.
Large flocks soar over the open seas and hunt pelagic fish, reaching speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) as they strike, arrow-like, from heights of up to 30m/100ft. The Nazca Boobies hunt sardines, pilchards, and flying fish from just beneath the surface.
You might see these dramatic displays on cruises or boat tours, especially around Española and Genovesa.
