Aldabra: Cosmoledo Atoll – Boobies Upclose

The bird paradise of the pristine Cosmoledo atoll hosts three species of boobies – red-footed, brown, and masked. The Res-footed boobies (Sula sula) are the most common booby species on Cosmoledo and form one of the largest colonies in the Indian Ocean and the world over here. Distinctive with their bright red feet and blue facial colors, they nest in trees and bushes. The Brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) are larger and have a striking appearance with dark brown upper parts and a white underbelly. Brown boobies prefer open nesting sites, typically on the ground or low cliffs. Finally, there were Masked boobies (Sula dactylatra), characterized by their striking white bodies with black wing tips and a distinctive black “mask” around their eyes, these are the largest of the booby family. Masked boobies prefer isolated nesting sites in open sandy or grassy beach areas.