From Opus

Male
Photo by Swissboy
Christmas Island, Australia, December 2007

Papasula abbotti

Sula abbotti

[edit] Identification

L. 80 cm.

• White body
• Black flank patch behind the wings
• Upperside of wings and tail are black
• Underside of wing is white. Narrow black rear edge and black wing tips
• Large black eye-ring
• Black tip on bill
• Flight silhouette is characterized by a very slim long body combined with very slim long wings that only taper off at the end.

Female
Photo by Swissboy
Christmas Island, Australia, December 2007

Female has pink bill; Male has light blue-gray bill.
Immature similar to male.

[edit] Similar Species

Masked Booby, Red-footed Booby, Australian Gannet, Cape Gannet, and Northern Gannet all have some white on the upperside of the wing in plumages where the head is mostly white. Peruvian Booby and white-headed forms of Brown Booby should not overlap in range with Abbott's Booby.

[edit] Distribution

This monotypic species breeds on Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.

[edit] Taxonomy

It is one of ten species belonging to the family Sulidae, gannets and boobies. Abbott's Booby is unique amongst the sulids and was recently placed in its own genus (Olson & Warheit 1988, Christidis & Boles 1994). It has some very ancient characters and may have diverged from other sulids prior to the divergence of gannets (Morus) and boobies (Sula). It is unique in its breeding biology and behaviour (Nelson 1971), and in its osteology (Olson & Warheit 1988)(A Dunn and FAR Hill, Environment Australia, September 1997)

Photo by Swissboy
Christmas Island, Australia, December 2007

[edit] Habitat

Near Christmas Island during breeding, seemingly dispersing to nearby water reaching Java.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Nesting is high in trees in the rainforest.

[edit] Flight

Abbott's Booby is a strong flier, with easy glides and occasional wingbeats.

[edit] Diet

Food includes flying fishes and squid.

[edit] External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID
• View more images of this species on Orientalbirdimages