Kiritimati: Masked & Brown Boobies
Want some more boobies? Motu Ngaontetaake had also a few of the other boobies species – masked boobies (Sula dactylatra) and the brown boobies (Sula leucogaster). These are less common than the red-footed and don’t nest in large colonies, rather preferring remote and isolated spots without other birds around. Masked boobies don’t make nests in trees but just lay the eggs on twigs arranged on the ground. Masked boobies are predominantly white with dark markings on their wings, back, and tail. They have a distinctive dark mask around their eyes, which gives them their name. Their bills are long and pointed, often yellowish in color. Brown boobies have brown or dark brown plumage on their upperparts, with a contrasting white or buff-colored belly and breast. They have long, pointed bills, often yellowish in color, and their legs and feet are usually yellowish or grayish.
