In the days of the old time sailing ships when they were coming down the eastern coastline of Australia, meat was scarce so when some of these birds landed on the deck, they were easily caught for food.
The birds were so easy to catch that the sailors called them Boobies.
The word ‘Booby’ meant stupid or an idiot which, to the sailors was what they thought, as these birds let them get close and did not seem to try to get away.
The birds are actually ‘Gannets’ but those north of the Tropic of Capricorn, all received this derogatory name. The bird in the illustration is a Masked Gannet though it is also known as the Masked Booby.
A large group of these birds had a colony on some grassy slopes leading down to the water. It was a wonderful sight to watch adults soaring all the way along and over the cliffs while other birds were guarding the chicks or the eggs.
Although I didn’t get too close to the nesting birds at the top of the cliff, the Boobys did not show any concern at my presence and showed no inclination to want to leave. With this innocent behaviour, it was no wonder the sailors found it so easy to catch them.
As well as the Masked Booby, there are two other Boobys as well. These are the Brown Booby and Red-footed Booby. All three inhabit the coastal areas of northern Australia and down the Queensland coast as far as the border. They are birds of the open sea.
The Masked particularly, searches for food way out in the ocean. The Red-footed frequents different islands off the coast as does the Brown Booby which does not spend as much time as the others, far out in the sea.
