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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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B
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Booby
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INFOTEXT
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1992-09-03
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Tropical seabird of the genus Sula, in the
same family, Sulidae, as the northern gannet.
There are six species, including the
circumtropical brown booby Sula leucogaster.
They inhabit coastal waters, and dive to
catch fish. Their name was given to them by
sailors who saw their tameness as stupidity.
One species, Abbott's booby, breeds only on
Christmas Island, in the western Indian
Ocean. Unlike most boobies and gannets it
nests high up in trees. Large parts of its
breeding ground have been destroyed by
phosphate mining, but conservation measures
now protect the site.