What is this cute but clumsy seabird spotted in Tubbataha Reef? Kuya Kim answers

Have you ever heard of the booby bird?

According to Kuya Kim on Thursday's "24 Oras," it's a carnivorous seabird excellent in flying and diving into the water to catch prey.

It's a cute and majestic bird when in the sky, but apparently, it's quite clumsy and slow-witted when on land.

"Mahilig din sila dumapo sa mga bangka so madali sila talagang hulihin," said Dr. Carmela Española, an ornithologist.

"Ang booby ay malamya, kapag nasa lupa laging natutumba, pero kapag lumipad napaka-elegante," she added.

Kuya Kim said the booby got its name from the Spanish slang word "bobo," which means stupid. This is because Spanish sailors easily caught these birds during the colonial era.

The booby is a monogamous species which stays together with just one mate its whole life. It eats anchovies, mackerel, sardines, and squid.

Last March, a video of a booby went viral in the Philippines after it was separated from its group and got rescued in Cagayan De Oro City.

Recently, it was also spotted at the Tubbatafa Reefs Natural Park during the annual seabird monitoring of the Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc.

The Tubbatafa Reef is a marine protected area in the country. It is the only location in the Philippines which serves as a breeding ground for seven species of seabirds.

Some species found in the reef, however, are in danger of disappearing. Two types of booby are already listed as threatened species: the masked booby and the brown booby.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News