While on a 7-night Western Caribbean cruise, sailing from Cocoa Bay in the Bahamas to Cozumel Island in Mexico, I suddenly noticed several brown boobies flying over the vast ocean. I was amazed by their ability to fly and appear so far from dry land. The brown booby (Sula leucogaster) is a large seabird of the booby family Sulidae. The word Sula is Norwegian for a gannet; the specific leucogaster is from Ancient Greek leuko for "white" and gastēr for "belly". They frequent the breeding grounds of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Their beaks are quite sharp and contain many jagged edges. They have fairly short wings resulting in a fast flap rate, but long, tapered tails. Brown Boobies nest in colonies on predator-free tropical islands, especially coral atolls. They sometimes nest on hillsides but more often select sandy beaches or rocky cliffs without trees. When not nesting, they are birds of the open ocean, sometimes resting on the water when far from land but often returning to islets or manmade perches (buoys, channel markers, jetties) to rest. Brown Boobies eat mainly fish and squid. They are acrobatic birds, particularly for their size, able to soar when searching for prey and then pivot rapidly to dive. They are fairly good swimmers below the water, using both feet and wings for propulsion. They usually finish swallowing prey as they reach the water’s surface. Brown Boobies feed alone, in flocks, and in mixed-species flocks with terns, shearwaters, pelicans, or other species of booby. They sometimes fly alongside or in front of moving boats or ships, capturing flying fish and other prey fleeing the vessel. They also follow schools of feeding fish such as tuna, which often force smaller prey toward the water’s surface. Mating occurs when the pair begins to construct the nest together and the female begins a display that looks like nest-weaving. Male and female share incubation and chick-rearing duties. In some colonies, about half of returning birds re-partner with their mate of the previous breeding season and occupy the same nest site.
當我們在七夜加勒比西海岸遊的遊輪上，在從巴哈馬的可可灣開往墨西哥的科蘇梅爾島的海上巡航日，我突然發覺在茫茫的大海上，看到數隻褐鰹鳥在天空遨翔，我很驚訝它們的飛翔能力，能在遠離地面的地方出現。褐鰹鳥是鰹鳥科的一種大型海鳥。Sula 這個字在挪威語中即指鰹鳥。種小名 leucogaster 源自古希臘語 leuko，意為“白色”，gastēr 意為“腹部”。它們經常出沒於墨西哥灣和加勒比海島嶼的繁殖地。它們的喙非常鋒利，並且有許多鋸齒狀邊緣。它們的翅膀相當短，因此拍動速度很快，但尾巴卻很長，呈錐形。褐鰹鳥通常在沒有天敵的熱帶島嶼上築巢群居，尤其是珊瑚環礁。它們有時會在山坡上築巢，但更常見的是選擇沙灘或沒有樹木的岩石懸崖。褐鰹鳥主要吃魚和魷魚。它們是有特技表演能力的鳥類，尤其是對於它們的體型而言，它們能夠在尋找獵物時翱翔，然後快速旋轉俯衝。它們是水下相當優秀的游泳者，用腳和翅膀來推進。它們通常在到達水面時完成吞嚥獵物。褐鰹鳥單獨捕食，也可以成群捕食，也可以與燕鷗、海鷗、鵜鶘或其他種類的鰹鳥混合捕食。它們有時會在移動的船隻旁或前面飛行，捕捉逃離船隻的飛魚和其他獵物。它們也跟著鮪魚等魚群進食，這些魚常常迫使較小的獵物游向水面。當雌雄一對開始一起建造巢穴並且雌性開始進行看起來像編織巢穴的表演時，交配就會發生。雄性和雌性共同分擔孵化和養育雛鳥的職責。在某些群體中，大約一半的返回鳥類與上一個繁殖季節的配偶重新配對並佔據相同的巢穴。
Notes 筆記
- The brown booby (Sula leucogaster) is a large seabird of the booby family Sulidae. The word Sula is Norwegian for a gannet; the specific leucogaster is from Ancient Greek leuko for "white" and gastēr for "belly".
- This species breeds on islands and coasts in the pantropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They frequent the breeding grounds of the islands in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
- Like many seabirds, Brown Boobies have a serrated, comblike toenail on their middle toe called a “preen-claw.” Boobies use it, along with their bill, to spread waterproofing oil from a gland in the tail throughout the feathers when preening. Their beaks are quite sharp and contain many jagged edges. They have fairly short wings resulting in a fast flap rate, but long, tapered tails. While these birds are typically silent, bird watchers have reported occasional sounds similar to grunting or quacking.
- Brown Boobies nest in colonies on predator-free tropical islands, especially coral atolls. They sometimes nest on hillsides but more often select sandy beaches or rocky cliffs without trees. When not nesting, they are birds of the open ocean, sometimes resting on the water when far from land but often returning to islets or manmade perches (buoys, channel markers, jetties) to rest.
- Brown Boobies eat mainly fish and squid. They are acrobatic birds, particularly for their size, able to soar when searching for prey and then pivot rapidly to dive. They are fairly good swimmers below the water, using both feet and wings for propulsion. Brown Boobies usually finish swallowing prey as they reach the water’s surface. Brown Boobies feed alone, in flocks, and in mixed-species flocks with terns, shearwaters, pelicans, or other species of booby. Brown Boobies sometimes fly alongside or in front of moving boats or ships, capturing flying fish and other prey fleeing the vessel. They also follow schools of feeding fish such as tuna, which often force smaller prey toward the water’s surface.
- Mating occurs when the pair begins to construct the nest together and the female begins a display that looks like nest-weaving. Male and female share incubation and chick-rearing duties. In some colonies, about half of returning birds re-partner with their mate of the previous breeding season and occupy the same nest site.
- 褐鰹鳥是鰹鳥科的一種大型海鳥。Sula 這個字在挪威語中即指鰹鳥。種小名 leucogaster 源自古希臘語 leuko，意為“白色”，gastēr 意為“腹部”。
- 這物種在大西洋和太平洋泛熱帶地區的島嶼和海岸繁殖。它們經常出沒於墨西哥灣和加勒比海島嶼的繁殖地。
- 和許多海鳥一樣，棕鰹鳥的中趾上有一個鋸齒狀、梳狀的趾甲。鰹鳥在梳理羽毛時，會用它和喙將尾部腺體中的防水油塗抹到整個羽毛上。它們的喙非常鋒利，並且有許多鋸齒狀邊緣。它們的翅膀相當短，因此拍動速度很快，但尾巴卻很長，呈錐形。雖然這些鳥通常很安靜，但觀鳥者報告說偶爾會發出類似於咕嚕聲或嘎嘎聲的聲音。
- 褐鰹鳥通常在沒有天敵的熱帶島嶼上築巢群居，尤其是珊瑚環礁。它們有時會在山坡上築巢，但更常見的是選擇沙灘或沒有樹木的岩石懸崖。當不築巢時，它們是公海的鳥類，有時在遠離陸地時在水面上休息，但經常返回小島或人造棲息地（浮標、航道標記、碼頭）休息。
- 褐鰹鳥主要吃魚和魷魚。它們是有特技表演能力的鳥類，尤其是對於它們的體型而言，它們能夠在尋找獵物時翱翔，然後快速旋轉俯衝。它們是水下相當優秀的游泳者，用腳和翅膀來推進。褐鰹鳥通常在到達水面時完成吞嚥獵物。褐鰹鳥單獨捕食，也可以成群捕食，也可以與燕鷗、海鷗、鵜鶘或其他種類的鰹鳥混合捕食。它們有時會在移動的船隻旁或前面飛行，捕捉逃離船隻的飛魚和其他獵物。它們也跟著鮪魚等魚群進食，這些魚常常迫使較小的獵物游向水面。
- 當雌雄一對開始一起建造巢穴並且雌性開始進行看起來像編織巢穴的表演時，交配就會發生。雄性和雌性共同分擔孵化和養育雛鳥的職責。在某些群體中，大約一半的返回鳥類與上一個繁殖季節的配偶重新配對並佔據相同的巢穴。
References 參考資料
- All About Birds: Brown Booby
- Wikipedia: Brown booby
- 維基百科: 白腹鰹鳥
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