I shot this about 10 years ago in florida, and for the life of me I can't remember what it is. can any of you FL UHHers remind me?
Based on the eyes, I think it is a northern gannet, not seen too often in Florida, but possible. I assume you saw it over the ocean shoreline somewhere?
It is a cattle egret. We have lots of them in the St. Petersburg area.
My wife, who’s quite the birder and probably has every bird ID book ever published, says it could be a Masked (Blue-faced) Booby.
Great photo!
IT is not a Northern Gannet. A Norther Gannet has white bill and yellow on its head. This is what rmm83main said. a Blue Footed Booby. Interesting bird
Blue-faced Booby (also called a Masked Booby).
A Blue-footed has blue feet.
Big difference.
Yep, it's a booby. Should have looked on my iNaturalist app on my iPhone. I hate when my phone is smarter than I am.
Not a gannet or a boobie. The boobie is only all the way down past the Keys here in Florida. It is a Snowy Egret.......here is a page from my waterfowl of Florida book, and one of my images of one in it's breeding plumage.
Not a gannet or a boobie. The boobie is only all the way down past the Keys here in Florida. It is a Snowy Egret.......here is a page from my waterfowl of Florida book, and one of my images of one in it's breeding plumage.
Nazca Booby according to my bird app.
roxiemarty wrote:
Not a gannet or a boobie. The boobie is only all the way down past the Keys here in Florida. It is a Snowy Egret.......here is a page from my waterfowl of Florida book, and one of my images of one in it's breeding plumage.
The "mask" in your book seems to be yellow and the beak black, while the mask in my shot is black and the beak is orange. This was taken in a refuge on the east coast, about halfway down Florida- a commercial operation with a lot of gators and birds, with a wooden walkway alongside a lagoon.
So far Masked Booby is looking to be the most likely....
Thanks to all who responded!
roxiemarty wrote:
Not a gannet or a boobie. The boobie is only all the way down past the Keys here in Florida. It is a Snowy Egret.......here is a page from my waterfowl of Florida book, and one of my images of one in it's breeding plumage.
It is definitely a Masked Booby. Even though Snowy Egrets are far more common than Masked Boobies, Snowies have black bills. Masked Boobies are occasionally seen on both coasts of Florida. It's most likely to see them on the Dry Tortugas where they nest.
Looks like a gannet to me.
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