Boobies and Gannets

Large seabirds with sleek bodies, long pointed wings, and sharp, pointed bills designed for diving into the water. Sulids usually have mostly white or brown feathers, with different face colours depending on the species. Their eyes face forward, giving them good depth perception needed for accurate diving from heights of up to thirty metres. Their feet are fully webbed and set far back on their bodies. Gannets live in cooler temperate and cold waters, while boobies prefer warmer tropical and subtropical seas. All these birds nest in groups on islands and coastal cliffs, often forming large, crowded colonies during breeding. They feed only on fish, which they catch by diving straight down into the water, sometimes working together in groups over areas rich in fish. There are three types of gannets found in the Atlantic, African, and Australasian regions. Six types of boobies are spread across tropical areas worldwide. In Britain and Ireland, the Northern Gannet is the only one from this family regularly seen in UK waters.