Lifer #149 - Red-footed Booby

Lifer 149 - Red-footed Booby

A lot has happened since my last post on May 3rd.  This long pause was not because of a lack of birding activity, but because of a badly-behaving PC that I am happy to say is now behaving the way it should.  During that period I registered my 149th Local lifer, a Red-footed Booby (Sula sula). It also became my 194th and 360th records for the West Indies and the World respectively.  The bird was seen by Carla Daniel of The Barbados Sea Turtle Project while she was patrolling the beach at the East Coast Road, St. Andrew.  This pelagic species is usually only seen this close to land during bad weather, especially, as two local experts put it, "when winds were from offshore", yes on those very rare occasions when the island gets "westerly (blowing) winds". 

Red-footed Booby in its brown phase

Red-footed Boobys are seabirds about 28" (70cm) in length and with a wingspan of up to 60" (152cm). This species has various morphs.  In the brown morph, like my 149th, the bird is predominantly brown with a white hind-part and tail.

Red-footed Booby in its white phase

In the white phase the bird is all white with black on the edges of both wings. Juveniles are sooty brown, paler below, sometimes with a slightly darker breast band. Its dionostic red feet can be seen in all morphs.

My epic 10th year of birding continues to be one of my best years and I am thoroughly enjoying it. With the business end of the year, fall migration, quickly approaching I have a strong feeling 151 is on its way.