Red-footed Booby Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRed-footed Booby
Adult light morph
Large heavy-bodied seabird with a daggerlike bill. Light morph adults are mostly white with black wings. Note red feet.
© Francis Canto Jr / Macaulay LibraryBelize, June 13, 2020Adult dark morph
Large seabird with a daggerlike bill. Dark morph birds have a tan head and belly. Nests in trees and shrubs.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, May 21, 2014Adult light morph
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryHawaii, April 01, 2003Not all videos have sound
Adult dark morph
Bullet-shaped seabird with long pointed wings. Dark morph birds in flight have dark underwings and a tan belly.
© Ken Chamberlain / Macaulay LibraryColima, December 04, 2015Adult light morph
Large seabird with long pointed wings. Wingbeats are deep and somewhat bouncy with interspersed glides. Light morph birds are white with black flight feathers.
© Cameron Rutt / Macaulay LibraryHawaii, March 02, 2012Adult dark morph
Dark morph birds have dark underwings and tan, dingy-looking bellies.
© Volker Hesse / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, January 23, 2005Adult dark morph (with Brown Booby)
Smallest of the boobies. Stands with body in a more horizontal position than other boobies.
© John Cahill xikanel.com / Macaulay LibraryEscuintla, January 26, 2016Similar SpeciesNorthern Gannet
Adult
Northern Gannets are larger with less black in the wings than Red-footed Boobies.
© John Reynolds / Macaulay LibraryOccitanie, December 03, 2016Similar SpeciesNorthern Gannet
Juvenile
Juvenile Northern Gannets are darker brown overall than juvenile Red-footed Boobies. They also have a white patch in the tail that Red-footed Boobies do not have.
© John Reynolds / Macaulay LibraryOccitanie, December 03, 2016Similar SpeciesBrown Booby
Adult (Atlantic)
Brown Boobies have a darker brown head, neck, and back than juvenile or dark morph Red-footed Boobies.
© Bill Adams / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, November 07, 2015Similar SpeciesBrown Booby
Immature
Immature Brown Boobies have a well-defined break between the breast and belly while juvenile and dark morph Red-footed Boobies are more evenly colored from the breast to the belly.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibrarySonora, November 25, 2015Similar SpeciesMasked Booby
Adult
Masked Boobies have a yellow bill and a black tail whereas white morph Red-footed Boobies have a gray bill and a white tail.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryTurks and Caicos Islands, November 27, 2013Similar SpeciesMasked Booby
Immature
Immature Masked Boobies have a well-defined white collar that both juvenile and dark morph adults lack.
© James (Jim) Holmes / Macaulay LibrarySaint Helena, April 18, 2016Similar SpeciesBlue-footed Booby
Adult
Compared to juvenile and dark morph Red-footed Boobies, adult Blue-footed Boobies have whiter bellies.
© Lisa Owens / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, March 27, 2012Similar SpeciesBlue-footed Booby
Immature
Immature Blue-footed Boobies have whiter bellies than juvenile and dark morph Red-footed Boobies.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryEl Callao, January 20, 2010Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Boobies and Gannets(Order: Suliformes, Family: Sulidae)
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