Blue-footed gannet (SciiFii)

The blue-footed gannet (Sula californianus) is a species of marine bird of the genus Sula, despite its name, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the coastlines across North America to help boost biodiversity. The blue-footed gannet is easily recognizable among North American seabirds by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait, and the bird greatly resembles the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) in appearance and coloration. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. The female is slightly larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm (35 inches) long with a wingspan up to 1.5 meters (5 feet). Its diet mainly consists of fish, which it obtains by diving and sometimes swimming under water in search of its prey. It sometimes hunts alone, but usually hunts in groups. The blue-footed gannet usually lays one to four eggs at a time. The species practices asynchronous hatching, in contrast to many other species whereby incubation begins when the last egg is laid and all chicks hatch together. This results in a growth inequality and size disparity between siblings, leading to facultative siblicide in times of food scarcity. The conservation status of the blue-footed gannet is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the blue-footed gannet's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii