This strictly marine species can normally be found over pelagic waters, preferring deeper waters than other boobies. It feeds on large species of shoaling fish, especially flying fish, but will also take large squid. Its breeding season depends on locality, forming small to medium-sized colonies of variable densities on rocky islands offshore. Nests are preferably built on cliff ledges, but a variety of other sites are used (del Hoyo et al. 1992).

This species ranges widely in tropical waters, being found in every ocean on or off nearly every coast except the eastern Atlantic Ocean, northern Indian Ocean and the central-eastern Pacific Ocean (del Hoyo et al. 1992).