Ascension : Conservation Weekly
Submitted by The Islander (Conservation Office) 15.05.2008 (Article Archived on 29.05.2008)

At the end of April, a very strange looking sea bird was spotted at Hummock Point.

What was this strange bird?

At the end of April, a very strange looking sea bird was spotted at Hummock Point.  The bird had many characteristics of a brown booby, but it had blue feet and a blue beak.

Norman Ratcliffe from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has identified the bird as a brown booby and masked booby hybrid.  This means that the two different species of sea bird mated and produced this odd-looking bird.

A few years ago, a similar looking chick was recorded by Richard White, a former Conservation Officer.  It is possible that this chick has returned to Ascension to breed.  Now we will see which species it picks to mate with!