▁natural ist ▁Carl ▁Lin na eus ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 6 ▁in ▁the ▁tw elf th ▁edition ▁of ▁his ▁System a ▁Natur ae . ▁He ▁introduced ▁the ▁bin omial ▁name ▁Pe le can us ▁s ula . ▁The ▁type ▁local ity ▁is ▁Barb ados ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies . ▁The ▁present ▁genus ▁S ula ▁was ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁scient ist ▁Math ur in ▁Jacques ▁Br isson ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 0 . ▁The ▁word ▁S ula ▁is ▁Norwegian ▁for ▁a ▁g ann et . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁three ▁sub species : ▁▁ ▁S . ▁s . ▁s ula ▁( Lin na eus , ▁ 1 7 6 6 ) ▁– ▁Car ib bean ▁and ▁south west ▁Atlantic ▁islands ▁ ▁S . ▁s . ▁rub ri pes ▁G ould , ▁ 1 8 3 8 ▁– ▁tropical ▁Pacific ▁and ▁Indian ▁O ce ans ▁ ▁S . ▁s . ▁web ster i ▁Roth sch ild , ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁– ▁eastern ▁central ▁Pacific ▁ ▁Description ▁The ▁red - fo oted ▁bo oby ▁is ▁the ▁smallest ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁bo oby ▁and ▁g ann et ▁family ▁at ▁about ▁ ▁in ▁length ▁and ▁with ▁a ▁wings pan ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁. ▁The ▁average ▁weight ▁of ▁ 4 9 0 ▁adult s ▁from ▁Christmas ▁Island ▁was ▁. ▁It ▁has ▁red ▁legs , ▁and ▁its ▁bill ▁and ▁thro at ▁p ouch ▁are ▁col oured ▁p ink ▁and ▁blue . ▁This ▁species ▁has ▁several ▁morph s . ▁In ▁the ▁white ▁morph ▁the ▁pl um