Red-footed Booby Sula sula on the Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep, India

Mohammed Jabir, K K and Zainul Abid, P M and Madhu, V R (2026) Red-footed Booby Sula sula on the Kalpeni Island, Lakshadweep, India. Indian Birds, 22 (2). pp. 60-61. ISSN 0973-1407

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Abstract

During a coastal walk on the Kalpeni Island in the Lakshadweep archipelago (10.071°N, 73.648°E) on 02 June 2025, MJKK encountered an unfamiliar seabird resting quietly on a mooring buoy near the shore of the leeward side of the atoll. The bird appeared calm and alert, showing no signs of distress or exhaustion. He observed it for approximately two hours as it occasionally preened and balanced itself against the light breeze, before eventually taking flight toward the southwest over the lagoon. Based on visual assessment and subsequent photographic confirmation, the bird was identified as an immature Red-footed Booby Sula sula a rarely recorded seabird in Indian waters [123]. Notable identification features included a pale blue bill with a darker base, bare blue facial skin with a blackish throat patch, vivid red webbed feet, and predominantly dirty white plumage with contrasting dark brown primaries. which aligned with field descriptions by Harrison et al. (2021).

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