Editor’s Note: The Red-footed Booby is part of the CROW CAW (Case A Week) series, which tells the stories of the patients at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife on Sanibel Island, the dangers they face, and how we can help protect all of our wildlife. Read previous cases here.
Red-footed Boobies are pelagic birds, meaning they live on open water, coming to islands and lands to nest. These sea birds are usually found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Red-footed Boobies hunt for fish and squid by flying slowly above the ocean and swiftly plunge-diving to capture their prey.
A Red-footed Booby is a very rare patient for this region. It is the first of its species documented in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, according to E-Bird.
This adult dark morph Red-footed Booby (24-3288) was found on a Sanibel beach on August 5. The finders reported they saw the Booby in the same spot for several hours without flying away.
CROW staff suspected the patient was blown off course by Hurricane Debby. It is not uncommon for rare or pelagic birds to be admitted to wildlife hospitals after a storm, sometimes due to an underlying illness that causes them to get carried away from their typical regions.
Upon admission, the Booby had a scabbed abrasion on its leg and was thin but was overall bright and alert. Staff administered pain and anti-inflammatory medication and fluids.
Since admission, the patient has been receiving daily “tub time” to help maintain the waterproofing quality of the feathers. It is often difficult for pelagic birds, such as this Booby, to be successfully rehabilitated after being grounded for so long.
This species is used to constantly flying over open oceans, so once it cannot fly for extended periods of time, it is difficult for it to regain its flight muscles. Staff is closely monitoring the patient as it continues to make great progress in care.
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