Masked Booby
Sula dactylatra Lesson, RP, 1831
Sulidae — Gannets, Boobies
Masked Booby, Sula dactylatra, breeds on tropical ocean islands and subtropical and tropical islands. It is a large seabird in the Sulidae family, first described by Lesson in 1831. The adult has a bright white body with black wings and tail, and a dark facial mask. It has a long pointed yellowish bill, a long neck, a streamlined body, long narrow wings and a pointed tail. It is the largest booby species. It nests in colonies on islands and atolls away from the mainland, close to deep water.
- Order
- Suliformes
- Family
- Sulidae — Gannets, Boobies
- Breeding range
- Tropical Ocean: widespread, subtropical and tropical islands
