An Unusual Visitor

By Safina Center Junior Fellow Katlyn Taylor

Nelson, the red footed booby, coming in for a landing. ©Katlyn Taylor

One day in September we were watching whales on the South end of Monterey Bay. Sea lions, humpbacks, and birds were in a frenzy on calm, sunny seas. A report came in that a booby (rare tropical bird) had joined the activity. Over the last few decades, sightings of several booby species have been increasingly common in Central California waters. I looked for the bird for a few minutes but quickly shifted my focus back to the whales.

A brown blur streaked across the bow, and a bird was back peddling its wings over the top of our passengers. It looked down at the front of the boat and decided to land on the railing. The passengers nearby became very still – not sure what to do. It settled in and started preening, we all exchanged glances. Since the bird didn’t instantly take off again, we just resumed whale watching and let the bird hang out.

Nelson preening his feathers as other watched whales. ©Katyln Taylor

After observing the key features of the bird, we determined that it was a juvenile red footed booby. These birds are mostly distributed across the lower and warmer latitudes. Some of their breeding habitats are very remote. These pelagic birds can be born on islands where there are no people and don’t learn to fear humans. As ocean temperatures rise, their ranges have the potential to expand and change.

Nelson with whales. ©Katlyn Taylor

As we started to make our way back to the harbor, the bird stayed with us. It had preened its feathers for a while, occasionally stopping to look at us or at the frenzy of wildlife next to the boat. On the ride home the bird tucked its head between its wings and fell asleep. Before it flew off at the harbor, I had thought of a name for it: Nelson.

The Nelson watching tours. ©Katlyn Taylor

Nelson rode on our vessel two more times. We felt like a pirate ship with a new mascot. Other boats came over to look at us with the bird over the course of the week. Our tour boat became an attraction. That next week the bird moved up to Santa Cruz, landing on boats on the northside of Monterey Bay.

The Nelson watching tours. ©Katlyn Taylor

Nelson at the Santa Cruz wharf. ©Katlyn Taylor

I’ve always been a closeted birder. Spending time with Nelson brought the birder in me so much joy. I find spending enough time with an animal to learn its personality to be an irreplaceable experience. Our world is so much more complex than we realize. The world is full of wonders, you just need to look closely to see them. Our world is full of wonders, wonders that need our protection.

Katlyn with Nelson and a whale. ©Katlyn Taylor