Zoology

Class Aves

Soula Nebouxii (Blue Footed Booby)

Polihierax semitorquatus (African pygmy falcon)

Phoenicopterus chilensis (Chilean flamingo)

Blue Footed Booby

Soula Nebouxii

Phylum: Chordata
Family: Sulidae
Genus: Sula
Species: nebouxii

•Hawaiian name

•Detailed description of the organism

Blue-footed Booby females are larger and have brighter feet than males. Blue-footed
Boobies are around 32 inches long and weigh 3 pounds. They have long pointed wings and strong necks. Their eyes are yellow. Blue-footed Boobies stand out because of their turquoise to bright blue feet.

•Habitat

Boobies live off the western coasts of Central and South America. The blue-footed booby lives on the open sea except when it is breeding. It breeds on ocean islands such as the Galapagos.

•Diet

Blue Footed Boobies are carnivorous. They sometimes fly far out to sea while keeping a keen eye out for schools of small fish, such as anchovies. The blue-footed booby plunges head first into the ocean, with its wings partly folded, to catch fish. It even catches flying fish when they are still in the air. It can also dive for fish while it is in a swimming position.

•Basic Growth and development cycles

The female blue-footed booby lays two to three pale blue or green eggs. The nest is on the ground. The eggs take about 45 days to hatch. Both parents incubate the eggs using their feet. As the eggs start to hatch, the parents will rest the eggs on top of their feet. The male brings food back to the nest for the female and the chicks. The chicks take regurgitated fish from their parents' bills. The chicks stay with their parents for about two months.

Fun Fact: The word "booby" comes from the Spanish "bobo," meaning "stupid fellow," and was probably inspired by the bird's clumsiness on land and apparently unwarranted bravery.

African pygmy falcon

Polihierax semitorquatus

Phylum: Chordata
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Polihierax
Species: P. semitorquatus

•Detailed description of the organism

African Pygmy-falcons have white chests and grey faces and chestnut backs. Their flight feathers have black and white spots. Their tail is black and white striped. They're 19 to 20 cm long,

•Habitat

This falcon lives in eastern and southern Africa in dry bushes.

•Diet

It preys on insects, small reptiles and even small mammals.

•Basic Growth and development cycles
This bird will engage in polyandrous relationships for warmth and defense.

FunFact: Smallest bird of prey in Africa

Phoenicopterus chilensis (Chilean flamingo)

Phylum: Chordata

Family: Phoenicopteridae

Genus: Phoenicopterus

Species: Phoenicopterus chilensis

•Detailed description of the organism

Newborn chicks are light grey. Older chicks are grey, brown, and pink. Once a Chilean flamingo is two to three years of age they get their light pink plumage. Its wing feathers and black with crimson edges. It has a long neck and small head. Its bill is black and white. It has long green-grayish or light blue legs with pink joints and with three pink webbed front toes on each leg. Males are slightly larger than females. Its wingspan is 127-153cm and it weighs 2.5-3.5kg. They live for 40-50 years.

•Habitat

Their habitats consist of shallow, muddy, alkaline and brackish lakes that have little or no vegetation. Chilean flamingos live in temperate areas such as South America.(ex. Peru, Andes, Uruguay, and Tierra del Fuego).

•Diet

Chilean flamingos filter organisms from the water and mud with thier long tongue. They eat small invertebrates such as brine flies, shrimp, mollusks, as well as blue-green algae, diatoms, protozoans, aquatic plants, seeds, insect larvae, and small worms. They can eat 10% of their weight each day.

•Zoological features

These flamingos have a good sense of hearing but a bad sense of smell. This flamingo's long neck is the elongation of vertebral column bones.

•Basic Growth and development cycles

The Chilean flamingos lay single eggs in a nest. The parent flamingo will only take care of its child and will watch over it as it grows and explores. At 11weeks a chick's beak begins to hook and it can begin to feed itself. Chicks loose their grey plumage over a three year period; pink feathers replace the gray ones.