email a friend
printable version
closeLC
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster
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 | not a migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 26,600,000 | |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 136,000,000 | |
| 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) | 17.3 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number > c.200,000 individuals (del Hoyo et al. 1992), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Taiwan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs, c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in Japan (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline owing to disturbance and unsustainable levels of exploitation. | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Native | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | |||
| Benin | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Cambodia | Unknown | No | |||
| Cameroon | Unknown | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | |||
| Cape Verde | Native | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Unknown | No | |||
| Chile | Unknown | No | |||
| 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 | Yes | ||
| 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 | |||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Fiji | Native | No | |||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| French Polynesia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| French Southern Territories | Unknown | No | |||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Ghana | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Israel | Native | No | |||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kiribati | Native | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | |||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Unknown | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Mozambique | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Nauru | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Zealand | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| Norfolk Island (to Australia) | Unknown | No | |||
| North Korea | Unknown | No | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Pakistan | Unknown | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Unknown | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Pitcairn Islands (to UK) | Unknown | No | |||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Samoa | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | |||
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Senegal | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| South Korea | Unknown | No | |||
| Spain | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | |||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Unknown | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Togo | Unknown | No | |||
| Tokelau (to New Zealand) | Unknown | No | |||
| Tonga | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tuvalu | Unknown | No | |||
| United Arab Emirates | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Uruguay | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | |||
| Vanuatu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| 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 | ||
| Western Sahara | Unknown | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | Dog Island |  |
| Anguilla (to UK) | Prickly Pear (East and West) | |
| Anguilla (to UK) | Sombrero | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Redonda | |
| Australia | Adele Island | |
| Australia | Ashmore Reef | |
| Australia | Bedout Island | |
| Australia | Booby Island (Kimberley) | |
| Australia | Capricornia Cays | |
| Australia | Cato Island (Coral Sea) | |
| Australia | Islands North of Port Stewart | |
| Australia | Lacepede Islands | |
| Australia | Manowar and Rocky Islands | |
| Australia | Raine Island, Moulter and Maclennan Cays | |
| Australia | Stapleton Island | |
| Australia | Wilson Reef (Great Barrier Reef) | |
| Bahamas | Booby Cay | |
| Bahamas | Booby Rocks and Pirates Bay | |
| Bahamas | Cay Verde | |
| Bahamas | Graham's Harbour | |
| Bahamas | Mira Por Vos | |
| Bahamas | Sandy Point | |
| Brazil | Arquipélago dos Alcatrazes | |
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Christmas Island | |
| Colombia | Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona | |
| Dominica | L'llet | |
| Dominica | Point Des Foux | |
| Guinea | Ile Alcatraz et Ile du Naufrage | |
| Guyana | Shell Beach | |
| Indonesia | Pulau Manuk | |
| Jamaica | Pedro Cays and Bank | |
| Japan | Danjo islands | |
| Japan | Senkaku islands | |
| Martinique (to France) | Rocher du Diamant | |
| Mexico | Bay and Islands of San Jorge | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Île Walpole | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Récifs d'Entrecasteaux | |
| Nicaragua | Booby Cay Island | |
| Philippines | Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Culebra | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Mona and Monito | |
| Saudi Arabia | Farasan Islands | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Tinhosas islands | |
| St Barthelemy (to France) | Îlets les Petits Saints et Gros Islets | |
| St Barthelemy (to France) | Petite Islette | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | All Awash Island | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Battowia Island | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Petit Canouan | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Little Tobago Island | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | St Giles Islands | |
| USA | Lehua Islet | |
| USA | Lehua Islet | |
| Venezuela | Isla La Blanquilla | |
| Venezuela | Isla La Blanquilla - Marine | |
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | North-west Cays | |
| Yemen | Jaza'ir al-Hanish | |
| Yemen | Jaza'ir al-Zubayr | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | resident |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | resident |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 100 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Historical |
| 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 leucogaster. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
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 | (Boddaert, 1783) |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 26,600,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
|
|