Masked Booby
Photo: USFWS Pacific · Public domain

Boobies and Gannets

Masked Booby

Sula dactylatra

LCLeast Concern
Family
Boobies and Gannets (Sulidae)
Order
Suliformes

Overview

The masked booby (Sula dactylatra), also called the masked gannet or the blue-faced booby, is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René-Primevère Lesson in 1831, the masked booby is one of six species of booby in the genus Sula. It has a typical sulid body shape, with a long pointed yellowish bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with black wings, a black tail and a dark face mask; at 75–85 cm (30–33 in) long, it is the largest species of booby.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to see it

Destination guides featuring this bird

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.