El carismático “pájaro bobo”, un icono de la Riviera Nayarit

The Blue-footed Booby or Alcatraz camanay, with its showy turquoise blue feet, is one of the main attractions for bird watchers who visit the Islas Marietas National Park and the Isla Isabel National Park.

Blue-footed booby, blue-footed booby, camanay gannet (Sula nebouxii). Three elegant names for a nice bird that is popularly known as the blue-footed “Booby Bird”, one of the most admired species by birdwatchers who come to the Riviera Nayarit.

The nickname "bobo" comes from his vague look and his clumsy walk on land, although in the water he is in his element because he is an excellent swimmer and a better fisherman, He doesn't have a feather as a fool!

For some years the myth has spread that this unique blue-footed could only be found in the Galapagos Islands, —a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Ecuador—, but the truth is that it is located in an extensive region of the American Pacific . In Mexico, for example, they have chosen the Nayarit coast to live and reproduce, specifically the Islas Marietas National Park and the Isla Isabel National Park, in addition to others islets in the state of Nayarit that have become a sanctuary for the species. There it mates, gives birth to its young and also lives with its "cousin" the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) (known as the brown-legged "booby"), as well as 90 other species of birds, including the frigate bird and the seagull. mexicana (Larus heermanni).

Characteristics of the "patiazul"

Research biologists report that the blue-footed "Booby Bird" measures between 30 and 85 centimeters, has a white body with a dark mottled back; its wings are long and dark, its tail pointed and its beak long and sharp; Of course, its large blue webbed feet stand out, which it shows off in wide strides during courtship to conquer its partner. The one with the bluest paws is the most attractive!

Another of its characteristics is that it feeds spectacularly: to fish it rises to medium height, pending the slightest flutter of a fish, and once it has located its prey it dives to catch it several meters deep, reaching speeds up to 96 km/h.

However, the blue-footed gannet is not only attractive but also great utility in the ecosystem, being a "bioindicator" species, that is, it reflects both oceanic conditions and marine productivity since it modifies its diet and the growth rate of the chicks according to the available food (MacCall, 1982; Ricklefs et al. 1984, and Jahncke and Goya, 2000). .

We are Luxury and Nature

For all this and more, the blue-footed "Booby Bird" is undoubtedly an important part of the Luxury and Nature that the Riviera Nayarit offers its visitors.

On your next trip to this tourist destination, book an expedition to the Islas Marietas National Park. Once there, keep your eyes peeled for these birds resting peacefully on the rocks, or if you're lucky, using their extraordinary skills to fish.

We remind you that Islas Marietas National Park was named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2008It is enough to discover them to know that it is not only a treasure of the Riviera Nayarit but of the world, and it must be preserved intact.

The Treasury of the Mexican Pacific will be here when the health contingency for COVID-19 ends. Meanwhile: #AtHomeWithRivieraNayarit

Original article