The Masked Booby is the largest booby in the world, an all-white seabird with black wings, a yellow bill, and a black facial mask. It occasionally appears in the Gulf of Mexico and off both coasts. Like all boobies, it plunge-dives from height to catch fish. Its 'booby' name comes from the Spanish 'bobo' meaning fool, for its habit of landing on ships.
Best time to see a Masked Booby
The best time to see a Masked Booby is January–July, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 648 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Masked Booby? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Masked Booby sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Masked Booby? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant, bird, or animal for an instant ID, its rarity, and a live map of where it is being seen near you.
Get HuckGet an alert when a Masked Booby is spotted
Pick a park, state, or city and we’ll email you when one turns up there. One check a day, only when there’s something new.
Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.
Love birds? Get Huck field notes
Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what people are finding in the wild - straight to your inbox.
