First described by Walter Rothschild in 1902, it was long considered a subspecies of the masked booby until recognised as distinct genetically and behaviorally in 2002.

Walter Rothschild organised and sent an expedition to the Galapagos Islands in 1897 to collect and review the animal life there.

[7] The species has a yellow iris, orange and pinkish beak, black facial skin in the form of a mask, and grey feet.

[9][10] The Nazca booby preys on small fish caught by diving at high speed from flight into the ocean.

The main food species is South American pilchard, but also take flying fish, anchovies and squid, especially during the El Niño events, when sardine numbers are low.

[14] The energy investment on the parent's part is very high, so their metabolic rates change during the nesting season.

This causes both parents to lose similar amounts of body weight and suffer a decline in their immune system activity.

Although populations are thought to decrease to some extent, this decline is not strong enough to require classification in a threat category.