A rare species of tropical bird, which has only been recorded once in the UK, has been spotted near the Isles of Scilly.<\/p>\n
The red-footed booby is a seabird native to the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands, more than 6,000 miles away.<\/p>\n
A tour boat crew spotted the rare species perched on Bishop Rock lighthouse, four miles west of Scilly.<\/p>\n
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), which studies birds in the British Isles, said the warm weather could explain its presence.<\/p>\n
The first UK sighting of the booby was in 2016, when it was spotted in an “exhausted state” on the beach at St Leonards, Sussex.<\/p>\n
Joe Pender, skipper of the Scilly Pelagics tour boat, first saw the bird on 7 August and said “to everyone’s amazement, there it was”.<\/p>\n
He said he returned for more trips on Monday and the seabird, which is related to the gannet, was still there.<\/p>\n
“I think it’s a long way from home, but it seems really happy up there,” Mr Pender explained.<\/p>\n
“There was obviously a lot of excitement from the people on board. There were a few rare seabirds they were expecting to see, but this certainly wasn’t one of them”.<\/p>\n
The red-footed booby is a relative of the gannet, but this species breeds on tropical islands such as the Galapagos, the BTO said.<\/p>\n
According to National Geographic, red-footed boobies do not usually migrate, but live year-round in tropical or subtropical areas.
\nThey feed at sea, nest on the ground and perch in coastal trees and bushes.<\/p>\n
They are the smallest of more than six species of boobies.<\/p>\n
They come in a variety of colour morphs, but all have red feet, hence their name.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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