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Sula leucogaster

(Boddaert, 1783)

Brown Booby

GNRUnranked Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
GNRUnrankedGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1339036
Element CodeABNFB01050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderSuliformes
FamilySulidae
GenusSula
Concept Reference
American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) Sula brewsteri was considered conspecific with S. leucogaster, although previously treated as a separate species (AOU 1931); separated based on strong, positive, assortative mating with respect to S. l. plotus, and plumage differences commensurate with those between other species pairs in the genus Sula (Thibault and Cibois 2017, VanderWerf et al. 2023) (AOS 2024).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Pelagic, but commonly observed from shore; often rests on buoys or rocky cliffs (Raffaele 1983). Usually does not range far out to sea; most numerous around small offshore islands (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Nests on ground or on cliff on island; nests in open area or vegetated site (Kepler 1978).

Ecology

Often rather gregarious (Hilty and Brown 1986). Feeds singly or in small groups but many may congregate at schools of fishes or around fishing boats (Stiles and Skutch 1989).

Reproduction

In West Indies and Hawaii, breeding season is long, may vary annually (Kepler 1978). Egg laying occurs early December-late April in Panama (Hilty and Brown 1986), nesting probably peaks September-April in Costa Rica (Stiles and Skutch 1989). Clutch size usually is 2; normally 1 chick survives. Incubation, by both sexes in turn, lasts 40-43 days. Young can fly by about 105 days. Not highly colonial.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSand/duneBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaSNAYes
Roadless Areas (1)
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
References (23)
  1. American Ornithological Society (AOS). Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth Supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141:1-21.
  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1983. Check-list of North American Birds, 6th edition. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. 877 pp.
  3. Berger, A. J. 1981. Hawaiian Birdlife. Second Edition. University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. xv + 260 pp.
  4. Cooper, J., A. J. Williams, and P. L. Britton. 1984. Distribution, population sizes and conservation of breeding seabirds in the Afrotropical region. Pages 403-419 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  5. de Korte, J. 1984. Status and conservation of seabird colonies in Indonesia. Pages 527-545 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  6. Feare, C. J. 1984. Seabird status and conservation in the tropical Indian Ocean. Pages 457-471 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  7. Gallagher, M. D., et al. 1984. The distribution and conservation of seabirds breeding on the coasts and islands of Iran and Arabia. Pages 421-456 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  8. Garnett, M. C. 1984. Conservation of seabirds in the South Pacific region: a review. Pages 547-558 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  9. Harrison, C. S., M. B. Naughton, and S. I. Fefer. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in the Hawaiian Archipelago and Johnston Atoll. Pages 513-526 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  10. Hasegawa, H. 1984. Status and conservation of seabirds in Japan, with special attention to the short-tailed albatross. Pages 487-500 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  11. Hilty, S.L. and W. L. Brown. 1986. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA. 836 pp.
  12. Kepler, C. B. 1978. The breeding ecology of sea birds on Monito Island, Puerto Rico. Condor 80:72-87.
  13. Le Grand, G., K. Emmerson, and A. Martin. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in the Macaronesian Islands. Pages 377-391 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  14. Melville, D. S. 1984. Seabirds of China and the surrounding seas. Pages 501-511 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  15. Nelson, J. B. 1978b. The Sulidae: gannets and boobies. Oxford. 1012 [or 1024] pp.
  16. Norton, R. L. 1988. The density and relative abundance of Pelecaniformes on the eastern Puerto Rico Bank in December 1982. Caribbean J. Science 24:28-31.
  17. Raffaele, H. A. 1983a. A guide to the birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Fondo Educativo Interamericano, San Juan, Puerto Rico. 255 pp.
  18. Sprunt, A., IV. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds of the Bahama Islands. Pages 157-168 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  19. Stiles, F. G. and A. F. Skutch. 1989. A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York, USA. 511 pp.
  20. Terres, J. K. 1980. The Audubon Society encyclopedia of North American birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York.
  21. van Halewyn, R., and R. L. Norton. 1984. The status and conservation of seabirds in the Caribbean. Pages 169-222 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2
  22. van Tets, G. F., and P. J. Fullagar. 1984. Status of seabirds breeding in Australia. Pages 559-571 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.
  23. Williams, A. J. 1984a. Breeding distribution, numbers and conservation of tropical seabirds on oceanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. Pages 393-401 in Croxall et al., eds. Status and conservation of the world's seabirds. ICBP Tech. Pub. No. 2.