Booby birds are a type of seabird found across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. There are six species of booby birds, and they live in coastal habitats on islands and along coastlines. Some key quick facts about where booby birds live:
Oceans and Seas
Booby birds live on islands and coastal areas near oceans and seas in tropical and subtropical regions. The six species are spread across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Their range extends across the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and more.
Islands and Coasts
Booby birds nest on islands and rocky coasts. They need coastal cliffs and ledges or trees to build their nests on. They are found on islands throughout the Caribbean, Hawaii, Galapagos, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and more. Some key island and coastal habitats include:
- Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific
- Galapagos Islands off Ecuador
- Caribbean Islands like the Bahamas
- Sea stacks and rocky cliffs on coasts
- Pacific islands like Fiji and French Polynesia
Tropical and Subtropical Regions
Booby birds live in tropical and subtropical climates, generally between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. They are found in latitudes ranging from 30°N to 30°S. Some key tropical and subtropical regions booby birds inhabit include:
- Caribbean
- Central America
- Northern South America
- Pacific Islands
- Great Barrier Reef
- Western Africa
- Southeast Asia
- Central Pacific
Blue-footed Booby Range
The Blue-footed Booby has the widest range of the six booby species. They are found on islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Their range extends along the Pacific coast from California down to Peru and across to the Galapagos. In the Atlantic, they live in the Caribbean down to northern Brazil.
Pacific Range
In the Pacific, Blue-footed Boobies nest on islands off the coasts of California, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Key habitats include the Galapagos Islands and offshore islands like the Revillagigedo Islands. They forage widely across the eastern Pacific.
Atlantic Range
In the Atlantic, Blue-footed Boobies nest on islands across the Caribbean from the Bahamas down to the ABC Islands and northern Brazil. They forage across the western and central Atlantic Ocean as far north as the Gulf of Mexico.
Brown Booby Range
The Brown Booby has a pantropical distribution across all three Oceans. In the Atlantic, they are found across the Caribbean, along the coasts of Central and South America, western Africa, and the Indian Ocean islands. Their Pacific range extends from Hawaii and the Galapagos across Polynesia to Australia and Asia.
Atlantic Range
Brown Boobies live along the Atlantic coasts of North and South America and across the Caribbean. They nest on islands off Florida, throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean, down the Central American coast, and along northern South America. They are also found around the Cape Verde islands off Africa.
Pacific Range
In the Pacific, major Brown Booby habitats include Hawaii, the Tuamotu islands, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. They breed down through New Caledonia and Australia to New Zealand. Their range extends north through Micronesia and east across the Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean
Brown Boobies live across the Indian Ocean on islands including the Seychelles, Maldives, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They breed along the eastern coast of Africa from Kenya down to South Africa.
Masked Booby Range
Masked Boobies have the largest range of any booby species. They can be found across all tropical oceans from the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific. Key areas include the Caribbean, Hawaii, the Red Sea, and islands in the southern oceans.
Atlantic Range
In the Atlantic, Masked Boobies nest on islands across the Caribbean including the Bahamas, Antilles, and offshore islands of South and Central America. They forage widely across the western and central Atlantic Ocean.
Pacific Range
Masked Boobies breed on islands across the Pacific including Hawaii, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Pitcairn Islands, and islands off Mexico. They forage extensively in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean.
Indian Ocean
Major Indian Ocean habitats include the Red Sea, Seychelles, Maldives, Christmas Island, and islands off Western Australia. Their range extends south to islands off eastern Africa and Madagascar.
Red-footed Booby Range
Red-footed Boobies have a pantropical range across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. In the Pacific, they occupy island chains including Hawaii, the Galapagos, and the South Pacific. Their Atlantic range centers on the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Pacific Range
Across the Pacific, Red-footed Boobies breed on island groups including Hawaii, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Marquesas, and the Galapagos Islands. They forage widely across the eastern and central Pacific.
Atlantic Range
In the Atlantic, Red-footed Boobies nest on islands across the Caribbean Sea from the Bahamas to the Virgin Islands down to the ABC Islands off Venezuela. They also live around Trinidad and Tobago and islands off the Central American coast.
Indian Ocean
Red-footed Boobies have a limited Indian Ocean range, found mainly around Christmas Island, the Seychelles, and the Chagos archipelago. They forage around these islands in the central Indian Ocean.
Nazca Booby Range
The Nazca Booby lives along the Pacific coast of Central and South America. They nest on islands and coastal cliffs from Mexico down through Peru and the Galapagos Islands. They forage for fish across the cool currents of the eastern Pacific.
Eastern Pacific
Nazca Boobies occupy islands and coastal sites along the Pacific coasts of Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Some of the key breeding islands include Malpelo, the Galapagos, and Lobos de Tierra.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands off Ecuador support large Nazca Booby populations, with major colonies on Espanola, San Cristobal, Floreana, and Genovesa Islands. About half of the world’s population breeds on the Galapagos.
Red-billed Tropicbird Range
The Red-billed Tropicbird lives across the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Their range centers on tropical islands between around 30° north and south of the equator. They occupy island chains including the Caribbean, Hawaii, and the Galapagos.
Atlantic Range
In the Atlantic, Red-billed Tropicbirds nest on islands across the Caribbean from the Bahamas and Florida down through the Lesser Antilles. They are found on islands off Venezuela, around Ascension and St. Helena, and off the Brazilian coast.
Indian Ocean Range
Major Indian Ocean habitats include the Seychelles, Maldives, Chagos, and Mascarene Islands. They also breed on Christmas Island, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and along the Western Australia coast.
Pacific Range
In the Pacific, Red-billed Tropicbirds inhabit island groups across Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. They breed on the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the central south Pacific on islands like the Tuamotus.
Where Different Species Overlap
Multiple booby species overlap in range across the tropical Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Here are some key areas where ranges overlap:
- Caribbean – Up to six species may breed on the same islands
- Galapagos Islands – Blue-footed, Nazca, and Red-footed Boobies breed together
- Hawaiian Islands – Brown, Red-footed, and Masked Boobies occupy the islands
- Tuamotu Islands – Four species breed on the atolls
- Sea of Cortez – Blue-footed, Brown, and Peruvian Boobies overlap on islands
Different booby species often nest in mixed colonies, particularly where ranges overlap broadly across archipelagos and island chains.
Key Conservation Areas
Some key protected areas and islands that conserve booby birds in their breeding range include:
- Galapagos Islands – Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies rely on protected status
- Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuges – Protect 4 species
- Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge – Supports up to 3 million seabirds including boobies
- Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary – Protects important Nazca Booby nesting
- Jaragua National Park – Safeguards Caribbean nesting habitats
Expanded marine reserves around nesting islands and reduced threats at colonies will be important for the future conservation of booby species.
| Species | Pacific Ocean Range | Atlantic Ocean Range | Indian Ocean Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-footed Booby | Galapagos Islands, California coast, Revillagigedo Islands, Gulf of California | Caribbean, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico to Brazil | Limited range on western Indian Ocean islands |
| Brown Booby | Hawaiian Islands, Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, New Zealand | Caribbean, Atlantic coasts of Americas, Cape Verde Islands | Red Sea, Seychelles, Nicobar Islands, east Africa |
| Masked Booby | Hawaii, Tuamotu Islands, Marquesas Islands, Line Islands | West Indies, offshore islands of Caribbean and Americas | Red Sea, Seychelles, Christmas Island, east Africa |
| Red-footed Booby | Hawaii, Galapagos, Polynesia | Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Florida | Seychelles, Chagos Archipelago, Christmas Island |
| Nazca Booby | Mexico to Peru, Galapagos Islands | No Atlantic range | No Indian Ocean range |
Conclusion
Booby birds inhabit tropical and subtropical islands and coasts globally across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Different species have broad ranges that overlap in areas like the Caribbean, Hawaii, and Galapagos. Conservation efforts to protect breeding colonies on islands and reduce threats at sea will be important for securing their future across their widespread ranges.
