Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a vagrant to coastal regions in India and a probable resident in Lakshadweep islands.

Identification: Size 65-74 cm. Wingspan: 56 inches. Sexes similar. Pelagic bird only coming ashore to breed. Large bird that dives for fish from air. Takes 2 to 3 years to reach adult plumage. Adult birds have dark head, breast, mantle, and tail with white belly cleanly separated from dark breast. Underwings white with dark border. Large, yellow, pointed bill. Yellow legs and feet. Immature birds have belly slightly paler than breast.

Similar species: Adults are quite distinctive with their bold dark head and breast cleanly separated from the white belly. Immature boobies of other species are very similar to Brown Boobies. Young Brown Boobies have darker bellies than Masked Booby and Blue-footed Booby. As Brown Boobies age, the distinctive breast band becomes more apparent. Young Red-footed Boobies are also quite dark but are smaller, and have even darker bellies and underwings.
 

Anseriformes

Galliformes