Picture of the Day: The blue legged bird

The booby, also known as the blue legged bird,  is a seabird. Their name was possibly based on the Spanish slang term bobo, meaning „stupid”, as these tame birds had a habit of landing on board sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten.

Owing to this, boobies are often mentioned as having been caught and eaten by shipwrecked sailors, notably William Bligh of the Bounty and his adherents, during their famous voyage after being set adrift by Fletcher Christian and his followers.

Boobies hunt fish by diving from a height into the sea and pursuing their prey underwater. Facial air sacs under their skin cushion the impact with the water. Boobies are colonial breeders on islands and coasts. They normally lay one or more chalky-blue eggs on the ground or sometimes in a tree nest.