Peruvian Booby

This seabird breeds in dense colonies on guano islands and coastal cliffs along the cold, food-rich Humboldt Current off Peru and Chile, and is best observed from boat trips out to these islands or headlands overlooking them. It forages by plunge-diving steeply into schooling fish from height, often in large mixed flocks with cormorants and pelicans, a spectacle that is easiest to watch during upwelling periods when prey is abundant near the surface. Colonies are busiest and most visible during the breeding season.