Only 3% or so of the world’s 10,000 bird species are considered ‘seabirdsFlying fish
After a chase, they return to the foremast, and the circus continues as birds attempt to land between other birds on the mast. However, they often mistime their approach, sometimes landing on other birds, the navigation lights, or landing unbalanced and falling off. There is much squabbling, pecking, and angry calls! The prize perch is the very top of the foremast from where all challengers are easily dispatched with a sharp peck to prevent their landing.
Their antics on the foremast of Falkor bring smiles and comments from all the ship’s crew and science team – except perhaps the poor crew member whose daily routine starts with high-pressure water and a stiff brush to clean off the guano on the deck under the foremast. It is easy to imagine the early sailing ships in the tropics with their rigging and masts adorned with Red-footed Boobies, displaying the same suite of ‘foolish’ or ‘clown’ antics to the sailors on board – establishing their name bobo or booby, which is still used today.
While on our seabird watches from the Falkor’s observation deck each day, in addition to boobies we see shearwaters, petrels, terns, frigatebirds, and the occasional whale. These observations provide data on the wildlife of the Tasman Sea and contribute to a broader understanding of the health of the ocean.
