H. Douglas Pratt (American, B. 1944) "Masked Booby" Signed lower right. Original Oil painting on Water Color Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original appeared on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 32c Masked Booby stamp issued February 26, 1996. The largest of the three species of boobies found on the Marshall Islands, the Masked Booby restricts itself to the northern atolls of Bikar and Taongi. All boobies are large seabirds that capture fish by aerial diving. Boobies feed in large flocks, and often prey on fish driven to the surface by larger underwater predators such as tuna. Consequently, boobies are important to local fishermen, as a circling flock usually means good fishing is at hand. The Masked Booby is predominantly white with black flight feathers and tail. It has a distinct black mask that gives this seabird its name. The Masked Booby seldom wanders far from the islands where it nests. Although occasionally found on beaches, the nests are usually built in vegetated areas where the birds clear circles and build up low mounds of dead plant material. This painting depicts a Masked Booby in a typical nest setting. Image Size: 5.75 x 6.75 in. Overall Size: 7.25 x 9 in. Unframed. (B15279)