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Red-footed Booby Sula sula
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | 1015.73 g |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 32,500 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 121,000,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 13 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number > c.1,000,000 individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1992), while national population sizes have been estimated at < c.100 breeding pairs and < c.50 individuals on migration in Taiwan and < c.100 breeding pairs and < c.50 individuals on migration in Japan (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to habitat loss, predation by invasive species and unsustainable levels of exploitation. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Unknown | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | |||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Cook Islands | Native | No | |||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | |||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Fiji | Native | No | Yes | ||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| French Polynesia | Native | No | |||
| French Southern Territories | Unknown | No | |||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Unknown | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Vagrant | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Kenya | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kiribati | Native | No | |||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Vagrant | No | |||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Vagrant | Yes | Yes | ||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Unknown | No | |||
| Nauru | Vagrant | No | |||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Nicaragua | Unknown | No | |||
| Niue (to New Zealand) | Native | No | |||
| Norfolk Island (to Australia) | Unknown | No | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Vagrant | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Pitcairn Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Réunion (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Samoa | Native | No | |||
| Seychelles | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Singapore | Unknown | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Unknown | No | |||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Unknown | No | |||
| Taiwan (China) | Unknown | No | |||
| Tanzania | Vagrant | No | |||
| Thailand | Vagrant | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tokelau (to New Zealand) | Unknown | No | |||
| Tonga | Native | No | |||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Tuvalu | Native | No | |||
| United Arab Emirates | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Vanuatu | Unknown | No | |||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Wallis and Futuna Islands (to France) | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Redonda |  |
| Australia | Coringa-Herald Reefs | |
| Belize | Belize Off-shore and Barrier Islands | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Barton Point Nature Reserve, Diego Garcia | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Danger Island, Chagos Bank | |
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Booby Pond Nature Reserve | |
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Christmas Island | |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | North Keeling Island | |
| French Polynesia | Tetiaroa | |
| French Southern Territories | Europa | |
| Indonesia | Pulau Manuk | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Îles des récifs Bampton et Chesterfield | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Récifs d'Entrecasteaux | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Mona and Monito | |
| Seychelles | Aldabra atoll | |
| Seychelles | Cosmoledo atoll | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Battowia Island | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Little Tobago Island | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | St Giles Islands | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Navassa | |
| USA | Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | |
| USA | Northwestern Hawaiian Islands | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 100 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Other impacts | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Eggs | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Sula sula. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Sulidae (Gannets and boobies) |
| Species name author | (Linnaeus, 1766) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 32,500 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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