Why do the Galapagos gannets have such blue legs

On the Galapagos Islands live amazing birds - blue-footed boobies. They are the only ones in the world who have paws of such an unusual color. In addition to unusual paws, gannets have a number of original features that cause the continued interest of travelers and explorers.

The blue-footed booby (Latin Sula nebouxii) is a rather large bird, the sizes of which reach 80 cm. The life of the boobies is inextricably linked to the sea: there they find food for themselves, hunting fish. Mushrooms soar above the surface of the water and, seeing the prey, dive down. They dive to a depth of 20-25 meters, and grab prey when they emerge to the surface. Interestingly, females are usually larger than males and heavier, which allows them to dive deeper and catch larger fish.

Blue-footed gannets live not only on the Galapagos Islands, but also on the Pacific coast of America: in Peru, Mexico and Ecuador. But on the islands they are most numerous. In general, the number of these birds is quite large, so scientists are not worried about the well-being of the population.

The gannets living in the Galapagos Islands are very naive: they are not at all afraid of people and are happy to pose for the camera.

The saturated blue color of their paws is explained by the presence of a coloring pigment - a carotenoid. This substance is produced in the body of gannets from lipids, which birds receive by eating marine fish. Bright saturated color is characteristic for young and healthy birds. It is interesting that if the booby is deprived of its usual diet - sea fish, then in just a couple of days its legs will turn pale gray.

The color of the paws is of great importance in the life of birds. They are guided by him when choosing a partner. The brighter and richer the paws of the male, the more likely he is to attract the attention of the opposite sex. The courtship courtship of gannets is very interesting. The male performs a special dance, raising his paws high, because this is his main advantage. If he manages to impress, and the female accepts his courtship, then in the future they perform a joint dance.

After a short courtship, the couple arranges a nest. It does not differ in complexity and size, as a rule, it is a small depression among stones or directly on the ground. The gannets living in the Galapagos Islands near the equator do not feel themselves changing the seasons of the year, therefore they multiply at any time of the year. The pair manages to breed one, less often two chicks, which is associated with the presence of birds of prey and limited food resources. The main enemies of blue-footed boobies are skuas and frigates. It is noteworthy that if the laying of eggs or chicks were lost as a result of an attack by predators, the gannets lay new eggs, but take care of them more responsibly.