Masked Booby
Sula dactylatra
Boobies and Gannets (Sulidae) · Suliformes (Suliformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Masked Booby with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Red-footed Booby Sula sula | 5 |
| Brown Booby Sula leucogaster | 5 |
| Nazca Booby Sula granti | 3 |
| Northern Gannet Morus bassanus | 1 |
| Anhinga Anhinga anhinga | 1 |
Family
The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The 10 species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus Sula.
Order
The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by Christidis & Boles 2008) is an order of birds that includes gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, cormorants and darters. The order is recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has been suggested that the group be divided to reflect the true evolutionary relationships; a 2017 study indicated that they are most closely related to Otidiformes (bustards) and Ciconiiformes (storks).