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MARINE BIRDS
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Probably evolved from dinosaurs about 160 million years ago.
Their reptilian heritage is clearly visible in their scaly legs and claws and the configuration of their internal organs and skeleton.
HISTORY
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EndothermsFeathersHollow BonesHighly Efficient Respiratory System
Lay Eggs On LandIncubate And Care For Young
CHARACTERISTICS
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Like marine reptiles, seabirds have special salt-excreting glands in their heads to eliminate the excess salt taken in with their food.
Voracious feedersTrue seabirds avoid land unless breeding
Live, feed and breed near the sea – depend on sea for food
Breed in colonies (95% of seabirds) – 10s to 1000s
ADAPTATIONS FOR MARINE LIFE
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Only 4% of the world’s 9000 bird species are seabirds
= 372 species
Of the 29 orders of birds7 contain seabirds
SEABIRDS
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Spenisciformes (penguins)Gaviiformes (divers, loons & grebes)
Procellariiformes “Tubenoses” (albatrosses, petrels & shearwaters)
Pelecaniformes (pelicans, gannets, boobies, cormorants, frigatebirds & tropicbirds)
Anseriformes (ducks & geese)Charadriiformes (gulls, terns and auks)
GROUPS
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17 species – all found south of the equatorMost are found around Antarctica
(or New Zealand/Australia/Southern America)
But the Galapagos penguin lives near the equator
Adaptations to the marine environment include:
Solid (not hollow) bones – so they can diveVery hydrodynamic shape – swim up to 15
mphWing bones are fused – a solid flipper
(instead of a wing)Wings “fly” underwater – like sealionsThick fat layer, plus feathers to insulateTheir feathers are like pins & not branched
– denser packedPlus behavioral adaptations (e.g.
huddling)
PENGUINS
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Loons are called ‘divers’ in the UKThe northern hemisphere’s answer
to penguins
Adaptations to the marine environment include:
Like penguins have solid (not hollow) bones
Simply by exhaling and emptying their air sacs they can become heavy enough to sink
Feet are near the backs of their bodies – greater thrust when diving
Have lobed feet (not webbed) – increased surface area
Can dive to depths of 100s of feet for several minutes
BUT – unlike penguins they can fly (although heavy)
LOONS
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Unlike penguins & loons albatrosses do not spend much time in the water
Instead they fly over the ocean searching for prey
Usually found in the southern hemisphere
The albatrosses glide in the constant strong winds around Antarctica
Adaptations to the marine environment include:
Long wingspan (3 - 4 m) but narrow wings – perfect for long distance gliding
They have a tube on top of their beaks –allows them to detect changes wind currents
A long hooked beak for catching fish on the wing
ALBATROSSES
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Small sparrow-sized birdsThey skim over the surface of the sea looking for foodMigrate to the equator during the winterBreed in burrows to avoid predators
Adaptations to the marine environment include:They have a tube on top of their beaks –like
albatrossesAlso have a hooked beak like albatrossesSecrete excess salt through their nose tubes Don’t glide but flap rapidly, very quickly and low over
the tops of waves
PETRELS
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Also skim over the surface of the sea looking for food
Pelagic – mostly hunting on the open oceanHave a beak and nose tube like the albatross &
petrel
SHEARWATERS
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One of the largest groups of seabirds 67 species
Adaptations to the marine environment include:
All have fully webbed feet = TOTIPALMATEMost have an elastic pouch of skin hanging
below their beak
PELECANIFORMES
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Large birds (with a wingspan of up to 3m)
Adaptations to the marine environment include:Very thin hydrodynamic shape to dive into the water They open their mouths use their throat pouches to
“net” their prey
PELECANIFORMES - PELICANS
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Primarily tropical
Adaptations to the marine environment include:
Dive from heights of nearly 100’ onto prey
Torpedo shaped - for piercing the water’s surface
PELECANIFORMES - BOOBIES
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Found in cool northern regions – nest on rocky cliffs
Adaptations to the marine environment include:Like boobies, dive onto prey from heightCan hit the water at 60mphSkull specially adapted to absorb the force of impact,
and to protect their brains from damage
PELECANIFORMES - GANNETS
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Adaptations to the marine environment include:Even more streamlined for diving from heightCan dive to depths of 10 m or moreSome species are flightless with large webbed, rear
situated feetBUT their wings are not waterproof,
so have to keep landing to allow their wings to dry
PELECANIFORMES - CORMORANTS
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Much more agile in the air than the other pelecaniformes
Opportunistic feeders – mollusks, fish, turtles and even jellyfish
Will also frequently steal food from other seabirds
PELECANIFORMES - FRIGATE BIRDS
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4 species of duck (EIDER DUCKS) are marine & 4 species of STEAMER ducks (3 are flightless)They have soft fluffy (well insulating) feathersThe kelp goose is also marine and feeds on algae
DUCKS AND GEESE
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Account for nearly half of the seabird species
131 speciesIncluding 50 species of gulls44 species of terns22 species of auk8 species of skua (jaeger)
CHARADRIIFORMES
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Adaptations to the marine environment include:Hooked beaks, webbed feet and long powerful wingsCan’t dive like a loon, or fly like an albatross or swim
as well as a cormorant – but are a “jack of all trades”
Very opportunistic feeders and able to find a niche in almost any open ocean or coastal environment
CHARADRIIFORMES - GULLS
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Sometimes called “sea swallows” more graceful relative of gulls
Hunt for food rather than scavenge like gullsOnly have small webbed feet, so not good swimmers,
swoop and catch prey on the wing
CHARADRIIFORMES - TERNS
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Clumsy in the air but extremely good divers
Usually inhabit colder, northern hemisphere areas
Adaptations to a marine environment:
Narrow, parrot like beaks, that can scoop up several small fish at a time
Use their wings to fly underwater like penguins
BUT more buoyant than penguins and have to work harder to stay underwater
CHARADRIIFORMES - AUKS
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Although not officially SEABIRDS, other bird species use the marine environment:
Wading birds in coastal mudflats and estuariesHerons, Egrets & Spoonbills – freshwater, but also
seen in salt marches and estuariesFlamingos – live in salt marshes and estuaries (as well
as salt lakes) – filters brine shrimp out of the waterKingfishersCrows – especially the fish crow.
Eat fish and beach carrionFalconformes: sea eagles and ospreys
OTHERS