Community Corner

Blue-Footed Boobies Invade SoCal Coast

The blue-footed booby -- high-diving seabirds that rarely head out north of Imperial County's Salton Sea -- are being spotted up and down Southern California's coastline, including one in Pacific Palisades.

The birds, which were reported as far north as Marin County, were last seen on Los Angeles County beaches in large numbers in the 1970s, according to the L.A. Times

The arrival of the birds follows a high mortality event of sea lion pups in Los Angeles County over the summer. 

"There's a lot of weird things happening out there," Dan Anderson, a professor of wildlife biology at UC Davis, told the newspaper. "No one is sure of what the cause is."

The rare bird was spotted in Pacific Palisades early Wednesday morning near Gladstone's Restaurant. 

Have you seen the blue-footed booby in Pacific Palisades? Tell us in the comments and share your photos. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here