Blue Footed Babies? Not Yet!

The famous blue footed booby has one of the silliest animal names we’ve ever heard, but take a look at this cute little cotton puff above – his feet aren’t blue! What gives? This is actually what makes the blue footed booby hilarious and adorable. Adult male boobys have blue feet, but not their cute puffy babies. Why? It’s fashion! An evolutionary trait developed through natural selection, females choose males to mate with based on how well fed they are because a well fed male must be a good hunter, and a good hunter can provide food for his cute birdie babies. What does that have to do with blue feet? Just like a flamingo turns more pink as they eat more shrimp, a blue footed booby’s feet become brighter and more vibrant the more nutrients he gets from his favorite fishy treats. So when boobys are babies and they don’t eat much, their feet are a dullish gray – destined to one day become a bright azure hue to aid in his attraction of a girlfriend! The males also must display fine dancing skills that feature their blue feet in order to attract mates. Meanwhile, the puffy white feathers of the baby booby will have to be enough to satisfy our need to see funny looking baby birds.