Boobies in the Family Sulidae are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. They are not truly pelagic seabirds and usually stay rather close to the coasts. They have long, narrow and pointed wings, and a graduated tail. Their bodies are torpedo-shaped. They have stout legs and webbed feet, with the web connecting all four toes. In some species the webs are brightly colored and used in courtship displays. Members of the Family Sulidade have long bills, deep at the base, and pointed with saw-like edges. The eyes are angled forward and provide a wider field of binocular vision than in most other birds. Bobbies feed entirely at sea. The typical hunting behavior is a dive from mid-air,
taking the bird a meter or two under water. If prey manages to escape the diving birds at first, they may engage in a chase using their legs and wings for underwater swimming. To keep water out during plunges, the nostrils enter into the bill rather than opening to the outside directly. Bobbies breathe through their mouths. Unlike their relatives (the anhingas and cormorants), birds in the Family Sulidae have a well-developed preen gland whose waxy secretions they spread on their feathers for waterproofing and pest control. There are two genera and seven species of bobbies and gannets known to occur in Peru. Photo: Peruvian Booby.
FREGATIDAE: Frigatebirds – Avefragatas