Old Blue-footed Booby on North Seymour in Galápagos, EC - Encircle Photos

6 Old Blue-footed Booby on North Seymour in Galápagos, EC

Seeing this blue-footed booby standing along the path is exciting. But this one is a turn off if you are another blue-footed booby. Why? Notice the gray feet. The color of a blue-footed booby’s feet is impacted by age, health and the carotenoid pigments consumed in their fish diet. Both genders only select mates with blue feet because they signal fertility. Studies also show color intensity indicates bettering parenting. Bright blue-footed females lay bigger eggs and similar fathers raise faster growing chicks. So this old bird will probably live out the rest of its 17 years as a bachelor.

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Old Blue-footed Booby on North Seymour in Galápagos, EC

North Seymour Island, Ecuador

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