Masked booby facts for kids
The masked booby is a big seabird that belongs to the booby family. Its scientific name is Sula dactylatra. These birds are mostly white, so people sometimes think they are seagulls.
Masked boobies are good at hunting fish. Some hunt alone to keep their catch safe. Others work together in groups to find big schools of fish. They sometimes even fight over the best fishing spots!
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Masked boobies build their nests in small groups called colonies. They lay two chalky white eggs. These eggs are placed in shallow dips on sandy beaches. Both parent birds take turns sitting on the eggs. This incubation period lasts for about 45 days.
When the chicks hatch, something interesting happens. The first chick to hatch is usually bigger and stronger. It often pushes its younger, weaker sibling out of the nest. This behavior is called siblicide. Even though parents could feed two chicks, doing so might make them less healthy. It could also affect how many chicks they have in the future.
Siblicide happens almost all the time with masked boobies. One reason is their nests are very flat and shallow. This makes it easy for the older chick to push the younger one out. Other booby species, like the blue-footed booby, build nests with steeper sides. This makes it harder for older chicks to push their siblings away.
Images for kids
-
Subsp. dactylatra In flight, Grand Turk Island
-
A breeding pair of subsp. tasmani and their chick, Norfolk Island
-
Juveniles of subsp personata on Kure Atoll in the Hawaiian island chain
-
Breeding sites in areas relatively free of vegetation, Oahu
-
Flying fish, such as the Atlantic flyingfish, are a common prey item.
See also
In Spanish: Piquero enmascarado para niños
