400km E Mid Atlantic Ridge - Gannet or Booby? (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and Bird Watchers!

I am 700 km south west of Arqupelago Dos Acores and about 400 km east of the Mid Atlantic Ridge.

And the only bird I see today is a bird hunting in front of my boat for a while and then the bird takes a lap of honour around the boat before it disappears.

I manage to get some pictures with my small pocket camera and I ID the bird as a young Northern Gannet.

I get internet from a satellite and it is sucking balls. Very slow but I looked for juvenile pictures of the gannet and I discover that my bird is more like a Masked Booby because of the head and the wing pattern.

Was I wrong to change the ID to Masked Booby?

Kind Regards and Happy Birding
Aladdin

 

[THE_FERN]

Isn't it more like brown booby? Difficult from these images but I can't see a strong underwing bar as I would expect if it were masked, and I think the blue facial skin and pale (not bright yellow) bill fit better

 

[Mike Earp]

Isn't it more like brown booby? Difficult from these images but I can't see a strong underwing bar as I would expect if it were masked, and I think the blue facial skin and pale (not bright yellow) bill fit better

Doesn't the white on the upperside support Masked rather than Brown Booby?

 

[THE_FERN]

Doesn't the white on the upperside support Masked rather than Brown Booby?

Yes you're right. I assumed immature brown could show this and it can (a bit) but it looks better for masked. Consulting ebird images shows other aspects are within variation for that too---so masked

 

[Aladdin]

Dear THE_FERN and Mike Earp

Highly appreciated! Thanks!

I am operating with some difficulties right now so the help is very appreciated. I have to write the message on my lap top and then transfer to my phone to upload it to internet.

I cannot write on my phone with my sausage fingers and to upload pictures on internet is an lengthy affair. So Thanks again!

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Steve Lister]

You are doing well for Boobies - Red-footed and now this one.