Birds · Suliformes · Sulidae

Peruvian Booby

Sula variegata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Peruvian booby is, along with the Guanay cormorant and the Peruvian pelican, one of the three great guano birds of the Humboldt current. It depends almost entirely on the Peruvian anchoveta and forms colonies of hundreds of thousands of birds on the guano islands. Its populations swing brutally with El Niño events, which collapse the anchoveta and cause mass die-offs.

Weight

1.2 kg – 1.6 kg

Size

71 cm – 76 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertOceanIslandsCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Desert Ocean Islands

3countries 5parks 2dive sites8same family

Fun facts

Together with the Guanay cormorant it produced the guano deposits that sustained the Peruvian economy of the 19th century: millions of tonnes of droppings accumulated over centuries on the Pacific islands were exported.
Its colonies run to hundreds of thousands, and its feeding flocks darken the sky over the Peruvian sea, forming columns that plunge in cascades onto the anchoveta shoals.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: The Humboldt current off Peru and Chile; it breeds on guano islands and coastal headlands
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 42 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sula_variegata