Masked Booby: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Seabirds · day 3 of 7

Five facts

1. Masked boobies catch flying fish and squid by plunge diving into the sea at high speed.
2. Male masked boobies whistle, with a descending call. Females make a loud honk.
3. To warn off trespassers, a booby shakes its head and ruffles its head feathers to look bigger.
4. A masked booby tagged in 1979 was found again 24 years later, 713 km away off New Caledonia.
5. Clipperton Island had only 150 masked boobies in 1958. After pigs were removed, it reached 112,000 birds by 2003.

The quiz

1. How do masked boobies catch their prey?

• By plunge diving at high speed (correct)
• By skimming the surface
• By stealing from gulls
• By wading in shallows

They capture flying fish and squid by high-speed plunge diving.

2. What sound does a female masked booby make?

• A descending whistle
• A loud honk (correct)
• A soft purr
• A high chirp

The female call is a loud honk, while the male's is a descending whistle.

3. How does a booby make its head look bigger to trespassers?

• It puffs out its chest
• It spreads its wings wide
• It ruffles its head feathers (correct)
• It opens its beak wide

It shakes its head and ruffles its head feathers to look bigger.

4. How far away was the tagged booby found after 24 years?

• 71 km
• 7,130 km
• 13 km
• 713 km (correct)

It was recaptured 713 km away off New Caledonia.

5. How many masked boobies lived on Clipperton Island in 1958?

• 150 (correct)
• 1,500
• 112,000
• 15

The island had only 150 masked boobies in 1958.

More about the Masked Booby

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries