Potential and mated pairs engage in courtship and greeting displays.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Large black-and-white seabird with heavy, pointed bill. Adult white with black flight feathers and central tail feathers, yellow-washed head. Juvenile mostly dark with many small white spots. Widespread off southern Australian coastlines and in New Zealand. Breeds in large colonies. In northern parts of range, compare Masked Booby, which has black trailing edge to inner wing, all-black tail, and heavy yellow bill.
Behavior
Feeds in spectacular fashion, plunge-diving into the ocean to capture prey.
Gallery