Red footed boobies are the most common birds on North Keeling Island, with an estimated 30,000 breeding pairs calling the island home.

The smallest of the booby species, red-footed boobies grow to about 70 centimetres in length with a wingspan of up to one metre. They have red feet and a pink and blue bill and throat pouch.

North Keeling’s red-footed boobies were hunted by Cocos-Malay people through most of the 20th century, which saw the number of birds plummet. The species is now protected under law, resulting in a larger and much more stable population.

Pulu Keeling is one of the world’s most important red-footed booby colonies, as most other populations around the globe are threatened by habitat loss and feral predators. The red-footed boobies on North Keeling Island represent about 6% of the global population.

Red-footed booby chick