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Everyone's Favorite - The Blue-Footed Booby

Oonagh Jordan
December 28, 2015

I know I already posted about the Galapagos, but I felt like another post was necessary. One of the best parts of the trip was seeing all these animals that I had read so much about and seen so many pictures of, so I decided to paint a picture of one of the Galapagos’ most famous residents – the Blue-Footed Booby.

In Spanish, the Booby is called the piquero, of which there are two varieties: el piquero de patas azules (blue feet) o de patas rojas (red feet). Both varieties have steel-blue beaks and very vibrantly colored feet. I’m not sure why the Blue-Footed Boobies are more popular than their red counterparts; maybe it’s just because the name is catchier.

We didn’t see many of them while we were there, and when we did, most were farther away. We did, however, see one super up-close during an excursion to Isla Lobos (Island of the Sea Lions). It was in the middle of the path, and after a second, we realized that it was sitting on an egg! Our guide said they are incredibly picky when looking on the ground for a spot to lay an egg and prefer flat and open places, and once they lay their egg, one parent always stays there until the egg is hatched (the parents switch off to feed).

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Oonagh Jordan

<p>I&#39;m Oonagh (ooh-nah), a junior at Grinnell College, and a Political Science major who fancies herself an occasional artist and a lifelong doodler. I&#39;m very excited and mildly terrified to start my stay in Quito, but I&#39;m very much looking forward to immersing myself in the language and culture.</p>

Destination:
Term:
2015 Fall
Home University:
Grinnell College
Major:
Political Science
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