A BOOBY sighting on South Shore has sent a gaggle of binocular-clutching enthusiasts running to the beach ¿ but not for the reason you might think.

The young brown booby, a large seabird, has made a rare appearance in Bermuda this week, spending much of its time at Warwick Long Bay sparking interest among even the casual observer.

A seabird that typically feeds and mates in tropical areas of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the brown booby's nearest breeding colony to Bermuda is in the Caribbean.

According to Andrew Dobson, president of the Bermuda Audubon Society, there have only been about 15 records of single brown boobies in Bermuda over the last 40 years.

"The brown booby is a vagrant species to Bermuda and most records have been of immature birds which sometimes wander considerable distances after leaving the nest," he said.

The young bird has been seen feeding along South Shore and like other boobies, which there are six, and gannets (a closely related bird), it feeds by spectacular plunges into the ocean at high speed to catch small fish or squid that gather in groups near the surface. They also may catch leaping fish while skimming the surface of the water.

This brown booby is nearly three feet in length from bill to tail and its wingspan is an impressive five feet. Like the other six boobies and pelicans, the brown boobies' feet are webbed connecting all four toes.

Interestingly, there is also a blue-footed booby which, as its name suggests, has turquoise-coloured feet. While the young bird sighted in Bermuda has grey colouring, adults have a bright white belly while their heads and upper bodies are dark brown.

Although these birds are powerful and agile fliers, they have been known to be clumsy in takeoffs and landings and use strong winds and high perches to assist their takeoffs.

Their apparent clumsiness also lends to the origins of their giggle-inducing name. According to some, the name is possibly based on the Spanish term bobo, meaning "dunce" or "clown", as these birds had a habit of landing aboard sailing ships, where they were easily captured and eaten.

It has a large global population estimated to be around 200,000 individuals and the species is not believed to be in decline, unlike many species of seabirds.