Masked Booby Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesMasked Booby
Adult
Large, heavy-bodied seabird with a hefty yellow bill. Adults are all white with black primaries and secondaries and a black tail. Note black mask.
© Cameron Rutt / Macaulay LibraryHawaii, October 07, 2011Juvenile
Large, heavy-bodied seabird with a hefty yellow (greenish yellow on Juveniles) bill. Juveniles have a brownish head and neck, a dark back, and a white belly.
© Dan O'Malley / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, June 15, 2016Adult
Flies on long stiff wings. Note black primaries, secondaries, and tail feathers.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryTurks and Caicos Islands, November 27, 2013Immature
Immatures have a mottled brown and white neck and back. Note mostly white underwings in flight.
© David McQuade / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, June 20, 2015Immature
Immatures have brownish mottling on the head and back with a distinct white collar.
© Carly Farley / Macaulay LibraryAruba, May 09, 2017Immature
The amount of brown color on the neck and back of immatures varies depending on age, some are solid brown whereas others have extensive mottling.
© John Doty / Macaulay LibraryLine Islands, December 30, 2010Adult
Nests on small tropical islands, especially ones that are flat and without forests. Spends rest of time at sea.
© Gerrit Vyn / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, March 16, 2007Similar SpeciesBrown Booby
Adult (Atlantic)
Adult Brown Boobies can be confused with juvenile Masked Boobies, but Brown Boobies have a dark brown neck and breast while juvenile Masked Boobies have a white breast.
© Bill Adams / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, November 07, 2015Similar SpeciesCocos Booby
Immature
Immature Brown Boobies have a dirty brown belly while Masked Boobies of all ages have a bright white belly.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibrarySonora, November 25, 2015Similar SpeciesNorthern Gannet
Adult
Northern Gannets have a silvery bill with feathers that extend onto the bill while Masked Boobies have a yellow and unfeathered bill. Gannets have less black on the wings than Masked Boobies.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay LibraryNewfoundland and Labrador, July 02, 2013Similar SpeciesNorthern Gannet
Juvenile
Juvenile Northern Gannets are browner overall than juvenile Masked Boobies with a brown (not white) belly.
© John Reynolds / Macaulay LibraryOccitanie, December 03, 2016Similar SpeciesRed-footed Booby
Adult light morph
Red-footed Boobies have a pale bill, no mask, and red feet unlike Masked Boobies, which have a yellow bill, a black mask, and pale feet.
© Marilyn Henry / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, November 14, 2016Similar SpeciesBlue-footed Booby
Adult
Blue-footed Boobies have a streaky head and neck and a dark bill unlike Masked Boobies that have a darker brown neck (juveniles) or a white neck (adults) and a yellow bill.
© Lisa Owens / Macaulay LibraryGalápagos, March 27, 2012Similar SpeciesBlue-footed Booby
Immature
Immature Blue-footed Boobies have a darker bill than Masked Boobies. They have similar brown and white mottling on the upper back but they do not have the distinct white collar that juvenile Masked Boobies have.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryOaxaca, January 09, 2013Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Boobies and Gannets(Order: Suliformes, Family: Sulidae)
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