Wikipedia:Today's featured article/December 31, 2023
The masked booby (Sula dactylatra) is a large seabird of the booby and gannet family, Sulidae. First described by the French naturalist René Lesson in 1831, the species is one of six in the genus Sula. It has a long pointed yellowish bill, long neck, aerodynamic body, long slender wings and pointed tail. The adult is bright white with black wings, a black tail and a dark face mask; at 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) long, it is the largest species of booby. The sexes have similar plumage. The species is not threatened; it ranges across tropical oceans, except in the eastern Atlantic and eastern Pacific. Nesting takes place in colonies, generally on islands and atolls far from the mainland and close to the deep water required for foraging. Potential and mated pairs engage in courtship and greeting displays. The female lays two chalky white eggs in a shallow depression on flat ground away from vegetation. These birds are spectacular high-speed plunge divers, preying mainly on flying fish. (Full article...)