The Peruvian booby (Sula variegata) is an endangered Peruvian bird whose range is restricted from Punta Pariñas (4.6 ° S) in Peru to Concepción in Chile to the west coast of South America. It is a Peruvian-style endemic bird and an important hunter of the marine group to which it belongs. Its range is much less common than other booby species that are closely related. The Peruvian booby population reached 3 million birds during the mid-twentieth century. Usually, they breed on cliffs, and on small islands, they generally select cliffs. Their non-breeding range stretches from southwestern Columbia to the Isla Grande de Chiloé along South America’s western coast. There are brown upper parts of the Peruvian Booby, and white underparts, as well as a white head. On the upper side of the wings, there is visible white mottling. Their wing-coverts are tipped white, forming a pattern like a scale. There’s a long , pointed, grey bill on them. In comparison to the distinctive coloring of the blue-footed and red-footed boobies, female boobies appear to be larger than their male counterparts: their bodies are 19% heavier on average and their wings are 4% larger. During the year, Peruvian boobies breed. During the southern spring-summer cycle (September to March), the main breeding season takes place and most pairs will try to breed for a second time during the year, depending on the availability of food.
“Peruvian Booby”
Usually, Peruvian boobies forage near Isla Macabi in relatively cool waters (13-22 degrees Celsius). They inhabit cliffs 100-2500 m high and small islands where they nest, mate, and fish forage. Boobies nest on the ledges of perpendicular cliffs in isolated groups of 2-3 pairs and on smooth sloping hillsides in the tens of thousands. From their fishing spot, they nest eastwards. Within the genus Sula, the Peruvian booby is. Other boobies, including the blue-footed boobies, the red-footed boobies, the brown boobies, the masked boobies, and the Nazca boobies, share this genus. The clutch size of the Peruvian Boobies ranges from one to four eggs, but there are usually clutches of two or three eggs, light blue in color. Eggs are incubated for around 4 to 5 weeks; the nest is shared by both parents. The rearing period lasts for approximately 3 months. Breeding success depends on the availability of food and is related to the location of the colony, colony size, and breeding timing. The Peruvian booby diet is mainly composed of anchovy, particularly Peruvian anchoveta. There is some difference in their diet, however, depending on their stage of life. Depending on the relative abundance of their prey, they are often recorded to consume mackerel as well as anchovy. For a reliable food source, they depend on the cold, active waters of the Humboldt Current upwelling scheme. Peruvian boobies have an average length of 73.5 cm (range of 71-76 cm). Both sexes have a wingspan of 150 cm on average, but females appear to be much larger. The Peruvian booby’s average speed is approximately 44 km/hour, but it has been shown that it can travel at speeds of up to 139 km/hour.
