ML346722631

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

JTS noted a strongly contrasting black-and-white bird on Bird Rock. Scoping it, the ID of Masked Booby was rather straight-forward. A white-bodied sulid, with black flight feathers (all primaries, secondaries, tertials, and tail feathers), obviously yellow (with a hint of green, but no orange) and broad-based bill. Bill long and wedge-shaped. Black-mask and pale (yellow?) eye. As it preened and moved around it would occasionally flap its wings, showing the aforementioned feather pattern, and the tail spread showed what appeared to be entirely black tail feathers. There were a few black spots on the wing coverts suggesting this was just coming into adult plumage. Nothing about this bird suggested Nazca. While the photos are less than superb, the scope views with overcast conditions were very good, and showed what we both agreed was definitely a yellow, with some faint green tint, bill but nothing peach or orange. The tail feathers were all black, most notably the central tail feathers, which lacked any visible white (whereas Nazca can, and generally does, show mostly white or at least significantly white central tail feathers).

Technical information

Dimensions

1282 pixels x 1282 pixels

Original file size

349.89 KB