Sula variegata

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	PELECANIFORMES	SULIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sula variegata

Species Authority:

(Tschudi, 1843)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Peruvian Booby

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s:

Justification:
This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be fluctuating, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2009	–	Least Concern
2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The Peruvian Booby is found in the area of the Humboldt Current, breeding from northern Peru to central Chile, with non-breeders being found as far as south-west Ecuador¹.
Countries:	Native: Chile; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru Vagrant: Panama
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population Trend:	Stable

Population Trend:

Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This strictly marine species feeds close to the coast in cool, rich waters of upwellings where food is abundant. It feeds almost exclusively on abundant supplies of anchovetta, but will switch to other fish species when stocks collapse. Feeding mostly occurs by plunge-diving from moderate height, usually in groups of more than 30-40 individuals. Breeding is only loosely seasonal on bare, arid islets along rocky coasts, mostly on cliff ledges in Chile, but preferring open, flat ground in Peru. It is largely sedentary, but will disperse widely during El Nino years (del Hoyo et al. 1992).
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This strictly marine species feeds close to the coast in cool, rich waters of upwellings where food is abundant. It feeds almost exclusively on abundant supplies of anchovetta, but will switch to other fish species when stocks collapse. Feeding mostly occurs by plunge-diving from moderate height, usually in groups of more than 30-40 individuals. Breeding is only loosely seasonal on bare, arid islets along rocky coasts, mostly on cliff ledges in Chile, but preferring open, flat ground in Peru. It is largely sedentary, but will disperse widely during El Nino years (del Hoyo et al. 1992).

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Bibliography [top]

	del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012).

del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A.; Sargatal, J. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of the World, vol. 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 2012.1). Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 19 June 2012).

Citation:	BirdLife International 2012. Sula variegata. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 May 2013.
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