[photo via]

Blue footed boobies, to be exact.

According to our friends at wikipedia:

The name “booby” comes from the Spanish term bobo, which means “Stupid”. This is because the Blue-footed Booby is clumsy on the land. Like other seabirds, they can be very tame.

The courtship of the Blue-footed Booby consists of the male flaunting his blue feet and dancing to impress the female. During the dance, the male will spread his wings and stamp his feet on the ground.

The males of the species have been known to throw up their head and whistle at a female flying by.

Blue Boobies are distributed among the continental coasts of the eastern Pacific Ocean to the Galapagos Islands and parts of California.

Thus ends Wednesday evening’s nature lesson.  Thank you and good night.