WANDERING ALBATROSS

ORDER Procellariiformes

FAMILY Diomedeidae

GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS &: SPECIES Diomedea exulans

The wandering albatross has a wingspan of more than nine feet­the largest of any living bird. It soars vast distances

across the ocean with little effort.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 4-5 ft. Male larger than

female. Wingspan: 9-10 ft. To a maximum

of 11 ft. Weight: Male, 1 8-26 lb. Female,

15-20 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual Maturity: At 9-15 years.

Breeding Season: November to

July in alternate years.

Eggs: 1. White, red speckled.

Incubation: 75-82 days.

Hatching: 3 days to break the shell

Fledging period: 270-280 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary or small feeding

groups at sea. Breed in colonies.

Diet: Mainly squid, octopus, and

cuttlefish; also crustaceans, fish,

and food from boats.

Lifespan: 30 years, but some may

live to 80 years.

Full range. Island breeding sites.

DISTRIBUTION

Small islands in the southern oceans, between Antarctica and

the Tropic of Capricorn.

CONSERVATION

Chief predators are skuas. Its main threat today comes from

oil and chemical pollution. As commercia l fishing increases in

its range, the wandering albatross may have to compete with

humans for its food .

THE FLIGHT OF THE WANDERING ALBATROSS

The wandering albatross has long , narrow wings that enable it to glide on updrafts. Where there are no air currents, the bird will settle on the sea.

The bird glides .... down with its .,...,-: wings folded . Just strong wind above the sea, it turns into the wind and soars back up on rising air currents.

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The herring gull (shown above left, to scale) is also skilled at gliding on updrafts. Its wingspan is less than half the albatross's.

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The wandering albatross roams the

southern oceans and circles the

Antarctic continent. It comes to land

only to breed on small subantarctic islands.

The bird has occasionally been spotted

off the South American coast but it has

been seen only twice in Europe since 1957.

~ HABITS The range of the wandering albatross is 30 million square miles of the southern oceans between the Tropic of Capri­corn and Antarctica . Albatross breed in colonies, and they often gather in rich feeding grounds. Colonies disband after the breeding season.

Wandering albatross are silent at sea. But in feeding groups, they may make hoarse croaking or grunting cries when squabbling for

offal (waste parts from a butchered animal) that is thrown from passing ships.

Although it soars gracefully across the waves, this great sea bird is clumsy on land. When waddling along on its huge feet, the albatross often trips itself and falls. Landing is hazardous, too, and many albatross crash into the breeding colony. They may even turn a few somersaults before coming to rest.

DID YOU KNOW? • Sailors have often called the black-footed albatross the "gooney bird" because it is so clumsy on land . • The wandering albatross has been known to follow a ship closely for six days, even during strong winds and on moonless nights.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The wandering albatross feeds mainly at night. It catches its prey-squid, octopus, and cuttlefish-by landing on the sea and scooping it from the surface with its huge bill. It also makes shallow dives to catch fish, crustaceans, and other sea creatures.

The wandering albatross follows ships, attracted by the waste food, or fish offal, that is stirred up by the propellers or thrown overboard.

• The scientific name for the entire albatross family, Diomedeidae, comes from the ancient Greek, Diomedes. According to legend, he was shipwrecked on the coast of Italy. After he died there, his companions were trans­formed into birds.

~ BREEDING

Although the wandering albatross lives an unusually long time, it breeds infre­quently. The bird rarely breeds until at least seven or eight years of age. It may wait until it is 15 before it finds a mate. Pair bonding is usually perma­nent, until one mate disap­pears or dies . Also, if the pair does not eventually produce young, the birds separate.

Breeding colonies are located on cliff tops or hillsides of remote islands, where pre-

Left: A wandering albatross may spend months in the air, without once touching land.

• The name "albatross" comes from the Portuguese word alcatraz, which origi­nally meant "any large bird ." • The wandering albatross has the lowest egg output a year of any living bird . • Some albatross may live up to 80 years.

vailing winds help the great birds become airborne. The male and female perform an elaborate mating ritual. They bow to one another and touch bills noisily. The birds also swing around each other on the ground with their wings spread out wide. At the end of the ritual, they point their bills skyward and scream loudly.

Both birds build the large nest-a messy mound of soil and vegetation. They make a hollow for the single egg. The pair alternates incubating the egg every two or three

Above: Left unguarded, this chick is vulnerable to predators such as skuas.

weeks, and they lose about 1 7 percent of their weight each shift.

The egg takes about two and a half months to hatch, and the chick takes another three months to fledge (grow feathers). As a result, a pair of wandering albatross breeds no more than once every two years.

The parents feed the fluffy, white chick throughout the winter. Between feedings the chick is left alone to fend for itself. When the young alba­tross finally fledges, it sets out alone for the ocean. The im­mature, black-feathered alba­tross will take as long as 10 years to gain its adult white plumage.

Left: After finding the right mate, two albatross perform a noisy mating ritual.

Inset: Parents feed their chick for almost nine months.

BLACK WOODPECKER

... ORDER '1IIIIIIII Piciformes

FAMILY Picidae

GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS & SPECIES Dryocopus maritius

The black woodpecker is the largest of all the European woodpeckers. About the same size as a crow, it is a shy

but noisy bird that is often heard but seldom seen.

~ KEY FACTS

~ SIZES l11fJ Length: 11/2-2 ft. Wingspan: 2-21/4 ft . Weight: 1 0-1 3 oz.

til BREEDING " Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: Late january to

june. Incubation period: 12 days.

No. of young: 2-6

Fledging period: 28 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Territorial; nests in tree

holes.

Diet: Chiefly ants.

lifespan: Oldest known bird,

7 years. Call: Loud whistling and high­

pitched cry. Its song is loud and erratic.

RELATED SPECIES

Closest relative is the white­

bellied woodpecker, Dryocopus

javensis, of Asia .

~-~~~ . \

"1v......- .

~c::>. .

Range of the black woodpecker.

DISTRIBUTION

Widespread throughout Europe and Asia from Spain and

Scandinavia in the west to Mongolia and japan in the east.

CONSERVATION

Although easily disturbed by man, the black woodpecker's

ability to live in both coniferous and deciduous woodland

has helped it remain reasonably common throughout most of its range .

THE BLACK WOOPECKER'S NEST

The black woodpecker makes its nest in mature coniferous forests and beechwoods.

Adult: Large, about the size of a crow. Mostly black with pale eyes and bill. The male has a striking red crown ; the fe­male has a patch of red on the rear of her head .

Nest: About 10-12 feet up in a tree. Large enough to hold three chicks and an adult.

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The male black woodpecker sports a fiery

red crown, and the female has a distinctive

red nape. This powerful bird can bore holes

in both living and dead trees to provide

secure nest chambers; these holes are often

used later by other woodland birds.

The black woodpecker lives throughout most of the wooded regions of northern Europe and Asia. It inhabits both coniferous and decidu­ous woodland where the trees are well spaced and form large, unbroken areas of for­est. The bird usually excavates a nest hole in a mature fir, beech, larch, or pine tree. The black woodpecker also

inhabits open land as long as there are trees available in which to nest. It is a wary bird, easily disturbed, so it seldom nests near human populations.

A competent climber as well as a strong flyer, the black woodpecker uses its sharp claws to grip the bark as it walks up and down tree trunks in search of food.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The black woodpecker feeds mainly on ants and insect lar­vae that it digs out of both living trees and dead stumps. It also forages on the forest floor, flicking away the leaves and hacking apart rotten logs with its strong, straight beak in search of grubs or larvae. The bird also explores ant nests with a long, sensitive tongue that is coated with a sticky secretion produced by specialized salivary glands.

In some parts of its range, up to 99 percent of the black woodpecker's diet is ants . It spends hours on the ground hacking open their nests to feed on the adults and larvae within. Elsewhere, the bird eats great numbers of beetle larvae, caterpillars, and fly larvae (maggots) . In winter the black woodpecker eats hibernating bees from their hives. The black woodpecker also feeds on growing apples, the chicks of other birds, and duck eggs.

Left: The woodpecker excavates its nests with powerful stabs of its sharp bill.

When excavating a nest hole in a tree or stripping off bark to reach the insects beneath, the black woodpecker braces itself against the tree using its stiff tail feathers as a support. It then angles its neck before attacking the wood with its powerful chisel-tipped bill.

Right: A woodpecker is capable of inflicting extensive damage.

DID YOU KNOW? • The black woodpecker's tongue ends in a horny tip with four or five pairs of backward-pointing barbs.

• The black woodpecker drinks by sipping rainwater from old tree hollows.

• In the mountains of Tibet, black woodpeckers live at

~BREEDING The black woodpecker usual­ly begins to court in January. The birds attract each other with loud contact calls . The woodpecker also drums its beak on its hollow nest tree, or any other resonant sur­face, to announce its pres­ence. When the bird finds a partner, they court each oth­er by bobbing and swinging their heads in unison. Finally, the male leads the mate to his nest site.

If the female accepts the nest, the pair establishes their breeding territory around it. If the male's nest is unaccept­able to the female, or is un­finished, the pair takes turns excavating a nest. It takes up

altitudes over 1 3,000 feet.

• The adult black wood­pecker has no down feath­ers on its plumage.

• The largest woodpecker in the world is the rare Mexican imperial ivorybill. It is a foot long and weighs as much as one and a half

to th ree weeks to excavate a hole a foot deep and eight inches wide.

When the nest is complete the birds mate. Shortly afterward the female lays her clutch of two to six white eggs. Both birds take turns incubating the eggs.

The blind and helpless chicks must be stimulated to

pounds.

• Most species of wood­pecker have feathers over their nostrils to protect them from wood chips and dust when pecking.

• The woodpecker's skin is very thick, protecting it against bites from insects.

eat. The adults do this by touching the sensitive pads on the sides of the chicks' beaks . The adults then pump regurgitated food into their mouths. After about 1 0 days, the young take their food without urging.

Below: Chicks squawk at the entrance hole, demanding their next meal.

ANDEAN CONDOR

ORDER Falconiformes

FAMILY Cathartidae

GENUS &- SPECIES Vultur gryphus

The Andean condor has a greater wing area than any other bird. Although it may appear awkward at close

range, the condor flies with agility and grace.

KEY FACTS SIZES Wingspan: About 10ft. Female

slightly smaller.

Weight: About 25 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual Maturity: 6-7 years.

Breeding Season: September to

January. No. of broods: 1 every 2 years.

Eggs: 1, white.

Incubation: 7-9 weeks.

Fledging period: 6 months.

Independent at 12-18 months.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary or in pairs.

Diet: Most carrion (dead flesh)

RELATED SPECIES

California condor (Gymnogyps cafifornianus) is the closest relative.

Also related to the North American

turkey vultures.

Range of the Andean condor.

DISTRIBUTION

Throughout the Andean Mountains on the eastern side of

South America, and south to Tierra del Fuego.

CONSERVATION

The condor's numbers have been reduced by man's hunting

of the birds' prey: guanacos and alpaca are killed for their fur.

But the Andean condor is not an endangered species, unlike

the Cal ifornia condor.

FEATURES OF THE ANDEAN CONDOR

The male has a loose flap of skin, called a plume, on its head. The female is slightly smaller than the male.

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Tail: The condor

The egg is laid in the bare rock face on a high, inaccessible mountain ledge. The chick is covered with a thick, brown-gray down.

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Male

Size of the condor compared to an average-sized man.

016020019 1 PACKET 19

Living high among the Andes mountains ~ FOOD & HUNTING ~----------------------------------------------

of 50uth America/ the Andean condor is From its vantage point in the sky, the Andean condor con-

a magnificent bird of prey.

It can soar a mile high in the sky/

invisible to all below.

The Andean condor nests and

roosts on inaccessible and ex­posed mountain ledges thou­sands of feet above sea level. It is well adapted for such a life. Its actual wing area--the largest of any bird in the world--allows it to soar high in the sky. (The wandering albatross's wingspan is slightly longer, but narrower.)

The condor uses rising air currents, called thermals, to

fly. The giant bird uses the ends of its flight feathers to control its direction by open­ing or closing them to regu­late the amount of air flowing through them . It can soar farther than three miles.

To land, the condor lowers and spreads its legs, which act as brakes. The bird is clumsy on the ground and

stays only long enough to feed, then soars off again .

stantly scans the ground for signs of food . It feeds on carri­on (dead animals). The condor flies hundreds of miles each

DID YOU KNOW? • The longest w ingspan re­corded for an Andean con­

dor is about 10 feet.

• The guanaco, a favorite condor food, is related to the llama.

• The Andean condor has a poor sense of smell . Dur­ing experiments it flew to a fake carcass that it could see, rather than to a real

carcass that had been cov­ered with a tarpaulin .

The Andean condor has keen eyesight. It circles, look­ing for herds of guanacos, lla­mas, and alpacas, and for the recent kills of pumas or other predatory animals.

Once the condor spots a

Above: A flock of condors feeds on a carcass.

Left: The condor rides rising air currents by simply spreading its wings.

Right: A chick matures sexually after six or seven years.

~BREEDING The condor has few natural enemies; it lives for about 50 years. Its breeding rate is low. The Andean condor matures

sexually when it is six or seven years old. It then finds a part­ner and mates for life.

Every two years the Ande­an condor courts its mate. With wings outstretched, the pair jump past each other, as if dancing, while clucking and hissing. They circle each other

carcass, it drops from the sky, followed by other condors. The condor uses its powerful beak to tear through the car­rion's hide.

Parts of the bird's neck and head are bald. Since it cannot

and rub and peck until one flies off the mountain ledge. The birds then chase each other in the air.

After mating, the female lays a single white egg on a bare rock face or in a rock crevice. The partners take

turns incubating the egg .

clean these areas, which be­come bloodstained while feeding, its baldness is a useful adaptation.

In its southern range, the Andean condor feeds on pen­guins and dead fish .

The newly hatched young chick is covered with brown­

gray down. Both parents feed the

chick for almost two years, even though it can fly when it is six months old . The par­ents do not breed again un­

til the following spring .

"'" CARD 54 SHEARWATER

,,~----------------------------------------~ ~ ORDER

Procellariiformes FAMILY Procellariidae

GENUS Puffinus

Shearwaters get their name from the graceful, apparently effortless way in which they fly fast and low over the sea,

with their wings almost touching the waves.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: 12-15 in. Wingspan: 30-35 in. Weight: Adult, 13-20 oz. Young,

often heavier.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 5-6 years. Breeding season: May to

September. No. of broods: 1 . No. of eggs: 1 (white). Incubation: 47-63 days. Fledging period: 62-76 days.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Migratory. Mates for life.

Call: Range of loud screams, chuckles, and howls. Diet: Small fish, squid, and crustaceans. Lifespan: About 10 years.

RELATED SPECIES Shearwaters belong to an order

which includes both huge albatrosses and tiny storm petrels.

Breeding sites. • Migration routes.

DISTRIBUTION Breeds in areas of California, Great Britain, some Atlantic islands, the Mediterranean, and New Zealand. Seasonally it is widely dispersed in the South Atlantic and also in the North Atlantic and Pacific.

CONSERVATION The main threat comes from the introduction of predators such as cats and rats to the shearwaters' breeding islands.

TH E SHEARWATER'S UNDERG

Shearwaters are so slow and awkward on land that, to protect t-..:-"',..;~.~

To avoid preda­tors, the shear­water nests on offshore islands and lays its single white egg in a burrow that is up to three feet deep.

themselves from predators, arrive at and depart from their breeding sites at night.

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5hearwaters spend most of their time

in flight. They return to land only to breed

in long-established breeding colonies.

They often migrate thousands of miles to

new feeding grounds.

~ HABITAT Shearwaters are found on the Atlantic coasts of Iceland and northern Europe, as well as in the Mediterranean and the North and South Pacific. De­spite their vast range, they have a highly developed hom­ing instinct that allows them to find their way back to their breeding sites. Their long, slender wings are adapted for

long migrations and make the flight almost effortless.

Shearwaters are usually seen flying low over the water because they use the air currents created by the rise and fall of the ocean's waves to help keep them aloft.

Below: A shearwater may use a crevice in a stone wall as a nest.

Shearwaters usually nest in underground burrows selected by the pair. The female lays a single egg and leaves the nest for several days to feed while the male incubates the egg.

When the chick is a few days old, it is left alone in the bur­row during the day. The par­ents return at night to feed it ' regurgitated fish. After six

~ FOOD &: HUNTING Shearwaters feed on small fish such as herring, sprats, and an­chovies, as well as squid and small crustaceans. They pluck prey from the water while hovering overhead. Sometimes shearwaters plunge into the water from the air in pursuit of fish.

Because many of the fish that shearwaters prey upon are mi-

weeks the chick leaves the burrow and makes its way to the sea. It may reach the flock's feeding grounds within three weeks.

At two years of age, young birds return each spring to the colony where they were born . They are not ready to breed until they reach maturity at the age of five or six.

gratory, the birds must fly great distances to new feeding grounds. When rearing young,

the adults may fly hundreds of I miles a day between the nesting site and good feeding areas so that they can provide food for their chicks.

Below: The shearwater's long wings are adapted for gliding and therefore make take-off difficult.

Right: By the time the chick is two months old, it has been so well fed that it is larger than its parents. It is then left to fend for itself and must live on its fat reserves.

DID YOU KNOW? • The shearwater's legs are positioned near the rear of its body to enable it to swim strongly. But this makes the bird awkward on land, where it must shuffle along with the aid of its beak and wings. • Shearwaters mate for life, but the pairs spend most of the year apart, meeting only

BIRDWATCH Shearwaters can be seen in great numbers at the ir breed­ing colonies. A colony can contain 100,000 pairs of birds. Many of them can be seen in g roups on the ocean surface, wait ing for d arkness to fall before coming ashore to feed their young . Serious

left: Shear­waters gather on the water surrounding their nest sites and wait for nightfall. When it is dark, they go ashore to feed their young.

when they return to their breeding site each spring .

• Shearwaters have specially adapted beaks that allow them to detect variations in air flow. Because of th is ability, they can fly close to the ocean's surface without being overcome by rising waves.

birdwatchers sometimes stay overn ight to see the g reat number of noisy birds return to their burrows with food .

Migrating shearwaters can be seen traveling south through inshore waters in the fall and returning north in early spring.

BULLFINCH

FAMILY Fringil/idae

"'" CARD 55 I

GROUP 2: BIRDS

GENUS &: SPECIES Pyrrhula pyrrhula

The bullfinch was once found only in undisturbed woodlands, but today it is increasingly common in developed areas. Its

markings and build make it easily recognizable.

KEY FACTS SIZES Length: 6 in. Wingspan: 10 in. Weight: 3/4 oz.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 1 year. Breeding season: April to August. No. of broods: Usually 2; occa­

sionally 3. Eggs: 4-5, pale blue, flecked with purple. Incubation: 12-14 days.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Shy, arboreal (tree-living), woodland bird.

Range of the bullfinch.

DISTRIBUTION Diet: Seeds and fruit buds. Lifespan: 2-4 years.

RELATED SPECIES

Widespread throughout Europe and Asia. Northern popula­tions migrate south in winter.

CONSERVATION Several subspecies, including Pyrrhula pyrrhula murina, found in the Azores. Other subspecies are smaller and less brightly colored than European species.

Despite the loss of its habitat, the bullfinch is successfully relocating to other habitats, and numbers are increasing in some areas.

FEATURES OF THE BULLFINCH

The bullfinch is a shy bird. But when it does appear, its markings make it easy to recognize.

Male: Pink breasted, with--------:--e white rump, black cap, and blue-gray back.

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Bill: Short and Eggs: Pale blue, rounded. Sharp flecked with cutting edge for purple. Female stripping seeds builds nest of and buds. roots in brambles

or hawthorn thicket.

~~------Female: Same

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markings as male, but much duller in color.

0160200161 PACKET 16

The bullfinch often raids gardens and

cultivated fruit orchards when its natural

food supply becomes scarce. This behavior makes

the bird quite unpopular with fruit growers

and gardeners.

~HABITAT The bullfinch lives throughout the wooded areas of Europe and Asia. It is now frequently found in developed areas and is also common on cultivated land. During the past 50 years the bullfinch's natural habitat has been drastically reduced because of the expansion of urbanized areas. An increase in the species's natural habitat,

DID YOU KNOW? • The bullfinch can carry so much food in its cheek pouches that its young need to be fed only every half hour. • The bullfinch prefers the seeds of the ash tree. But the

and of the wild seeds and fruits that it feeds on, might prevent it from damaging crop growth in orchards.

The bullfinch spends most of its time in trees and is rarely seen on the ground. Even when it lives near people, the bullfinch prefers the privacy of dense under­growth for its nest.

ash produces a good crop in alternate years only, making it possible for farmers and bird watchers to predict when the birds are most likely to raid fruit orchards and gardens.

~FOOD & FEEDING The bullfinch feeds mainly on seeds and buds. It uses its short, rounded, and sharp­edged beak to pick off and peel ripening fruit buds.

The bullfinch varies its diet throughout the year as differ­ent foods become seasonally available. In spring the bull­finch feeds on oak catkins, dandelions, and buttercups. During the summer it eats nettles, dock, privet, and

Left: The male bullfinch's song sounds like a creaking gate.

~I THE BULLFINCH The bullfinch has become a more common sight in de­veloped areas because of the steady loss of its natural wood­land habitat.

The male's distinctive pink

~BREEDING In early spring the male bull­finch attracts a female by bringing her twigs. If she is willing to mate with him, the two pair for life.

Soon after mating, the fe­male builds a nest of roots hidden among the thick twigs of a bramble or hawthorn bush. She lines the nest with anir;nal hair that she has gath­ered from the area.

Once the nest is completed, the female lays a clutch of pale blue, purple-flecked eggs. She incubates the clutch for 12 to 14 days, and the male feeds her during this time.

When the eggs hatch, the male provides food for both the female and the chicks. But

bramble. In the beginning of winter the bird consumes birch and ash seeds, and near the end of winter, it eats the ripening buds of hawthorn and blackthorn.

Still, in years when natural food supplies fail, the bull­finch feeds on cultivated fruit and flower buds.

The adult bullfinch is herbi­

vorous (plant eating), but when it is feeding its off­spring, it catches spiders and other insects, which are more nutritious for the young.

breast and shiny black head contrast with the female's more muted colors. The bird's rounded, parrotlike bill is well adapted for eating fruits and seeds.

as the young grow, the fe­male also helps to feed them. The chicks are given a predi­gested mixture of insects and seeds, which the adults carry back to the nest in their cheek pouches.

The young birds leave the nest after two weeks. The adult pair mates again, and the female begins building another nest. But the young birds remain in the area, and during winter the adults and their young from several broods feed together in family groups.

Right: 80th parents feed the chicks with predigested food from their cheek pouches.

Left: The plant­eating bullfinch feeds on seeds and buds. This pink-breasted male is eating dock seeds.

~BULLFINCH & MAN In just a few days several bullfinches can cause great damage to a commercial orchard. But studies have shown that the bullfinch does not raid orchards when there is enough food available in

the wild. Also, orchards can be protected by simply planting areas of grass around them, which the birds are reluctant to cross.

In some areas farmers still trap and shoot the birds.

COMMON TERN

"''--------~ ORDER FAMILY ~ Charadriiformes Sternidae

""CARD Sn GROUP 2: BIRDS

GENUS & SPECIES Sterna hirundo

The common tern's slender build and na"ow, pointed wings make it one of the most graceful of all seabirds as it hovers

and dips above the waves searching for fish.

KEY FACTS ------------------------------------------------------~

SIZES Length: 1 ft. Wingspan: 2-3 ft. Weight: 4-6 oz.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2-4 years. Breeding season: Summer. No. of broods: 1 . Eggs: 1-3, cream to buff with dark markings. Incubation: 21-22 days. Fledging period: 22-28 days.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Migratory. Nests in colonies; often feeds in flocks . Diet: Fish, shrimps, crabs. Lifespan: Oldest known bird 25

years.

RELATED SPECIES About 43 species in the tern family worldwide.

Range of the common tern.

DI STRI BUTION

Breeds widely in North Africa, eastern North America, and the Caribbean. Winters on the coasts of western and southern Africa, southern and southeastern Asia, eastern Australia, and Central and South America.

CONSERVATION

Common, though its colonies are vulnerable to disturbance. Some adults are caught in snares in its winter range.

FEATURES AND NESTING SITE OF THE COMMON TERN

Juvenile: Has Juvenile

Sexes: The male and female are identical in appearance. In summer they have black-tipped red beaks and black foreheads.

Tail: Long tail streamers give the tern an elegant flight.

Nest and eggs: The nest is a scrape --=-....L----~~~~f:.L:..;'.,'j~~t in the ground, lined with shells, grass, or bits of wood. Two to three brownish yellow eggs marked with heavy brown blotches are laid.

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Adult

0160200231 PACKET 23

The common tern breeds in a broader

range of climatic zones than any other

species of terr~from the fringes of the Arctic

to the hot, humid tropics. It nests in colonies

of up to 7,800 pairs, the adults returning

to the same colony year after year.

The common tern is a socia­ble bird, spending much of its time in small feeding parties, often in company with other species of tern. Where there are schools of fish, flocks of up to 200 birds may gather. They also form communal roosts, and in their southern winter

IA{ BIRDWATCH The common tern is wide­spread throughout Euro pe. In spring and summer it m i­g rates south, mainly to Afri­ca, for autumn and winter.

It breeds around the coast­lines of northern Europe and

range the flocks spend both day and night at sea, many miles offshore.

The common tern migrates north to its breeding ground in spring, returning to the same nesting colony every year. Most colonies favor sparse vegetation found close

Great Britain and is also found inland around rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Nesting usually takes place from mid­May to mid-August.

Approach a colony with care and keep your distance.

~ BREEDING Courtship involves a variety of displays, the most spectacular taking place in the air. A pair rises up as much as 600 feet above the ground-the male often carrying a fish in his

Below: In summer, the tern acquires a black-tipped bill and black forehead.

to the coast or patches of flat rock, beaches, or dunes. Inland colonies tend to be smaller.

A strange event called a "dread" occurs regularly at tern colonies and roosts. All the adults suddenly fall silent and flock out over the sea, re­turning about a minute later.

The birds are easily disturbed from their nests. Sometimes they attack intruders by swooping at their heads. They may even strike with thei r beaks and feet and possibly draw blood .

beak- then glides back down. As they descend, the two birds turn and pass close by one another several times.

Their nest is a shallow de­pression on the ground, lined with pieces of shells and veg­etation. Each pair defends a roughly circular territory

I DID YOU KNOW? • Terns are such graceful birds that they are often called "sea swallows."

• Terns have been found nesting at altitudes of 16,000 feet in the moun­tains of central Asia.

• One pair of t.erns returned to the same nest for 1 7 years in a row.

• Some common terns fly up to 100 miles every day.

~ FOOD Est FEEDING Early morning and evening are the times when the com­mon tern is most busy in its search for food. Its diet con­sists mainly of small fish (up to three inches in length), but it also catches shrimp, small shore crabs, prawns, and other aquatic crustaceans.

The common tern is an agile flier when hunting for food . After flapping over a patch of water with its head pointed down, the tern hov­ers briefly, then plunges. It dives down a foot or so below the surface and snatches a fish, then quickly resurfaces.

The common tern adapts its hunting methods and its choice of prey in response to different situations. Instead of

around the nest a few square feet in size. Fights between defending males and intrud­ing birds sometimes end with the two adversaries grappling, bills interlocked.

Both sexes incubate the eggs over a three-week period, relieving one another,

hovering, some terns perch on bridges, moored boats, and piers to look for prey.

Common terns chase and catch flying insects . If food becomes scarce at the nesting

although the female spends most of the time on the eggs. The chicks fledge within four weeks. About 10 days later they accompany their parents to the feeding grounds.

Below: Chicks leave the nest after fledging to find their own place within the adults' territory.

colony, some birds chase other terns, trying to force

them to drop their catches.

Below: The adults continue to feed the chicks, even after they have left the nest.

PRINCESS PARROT

,,--------... ORDER ... FAMILY "1IIIIIIII Psittaciformes "1IIIIIIII Psittacidae

"'CARD 57

GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS & SPECIES Polytelis alexandrae

The rare princess parrot lives a nomadic life. It travels through sparsely populated areas of western Australia in search of the

flowering acacia it likes to eat.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: 1 ~ ft . Weight: About 4 oz.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 3-4 years. Nest site: Eucalyptus tree. No. of eggs: 4-6. Incubation: About 3 weeks. Fledging: 2-3 months.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Pairs or groups up to 20. Diet: Grass seeds, berries, herba­ceous plants, and acacia blossoms, fruit, and seeds.

RELATED SPECIES

Other Polytelis species include the superb parrot, P. swansonii, and

the regent parrot, P. anthopeplus.

© MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM

Range of the princess parrot.

DISTRIBUTION

Although a rare bird, the princess parrot can be found in the interior of central and western Australia wherever there is scattered scrub.

CONSERVATION

Rarely seen at any time, this endangered species is totally protected by law.

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Till: Very long and conspicuous.

Male coloring: Crown and sides of head are light blue. Upper flight feathers are olive, and rump is violet.

0160200351 PACKET 35

Found in the dry areas of western Australia,

the princess parrot is an especially

beautiful bird. It is much in demand

for aviaries because it usually thrives

and breeds well in captivity.

~ HABITAT

Princess parrots usually live near acacia or eucalyptus trees in dry scrubland, often far from water. These birds

DID YOU KNOW? • Normally very quiet, the princess parrot has a loud, unmelodic call. On long flights it makes contact with a long chattering note.

• When traveling long dis­tances, the princess parrot flies high and very fast. Its wingbeats seem almost effortless.

are nomadic, following the flowering of the acacia. They are normally found in pairs or small groups.

• The princess parrot is fully protected by law from capture and is registered as an endangered species.

• In the wild, princess par­rots are surprisingly tame and easy to approach. If alarmed, they will fly off a short distance and resettle nearby.

~ BREEDING

The courtship display of the male princess parrot, like that of other Polytelis species, is characterized by a marked dilation of the eye pupils. The bird also bows and bobs its head and erects a few frontal feathers to form a tiny crest. During the breeding season, male princess parrots often become aggressive toward their mates. The females tend to be clumsy, and they fre­quently break eggs upon en­tering or leaving the nest.

Princess parrots normally nest between September and December. They lay four to six eggs in holes on the forks of large eucalyptus or casu­arina trees. Small groups often form nesting colonies in the same tree.

The nesting birds make no attempt at nest building. Instead, they lay their eggs

Left: Princess parrots are remark­ably tame and easy to approach.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING

Princess parrots feed mainly on grass seeds and ground­hugging herbaceous plants. They also eat fruits, blossoms, berries, and occasionally in­sects. They favor the fruit and blossoms of the acacia tree. Specimens collected for mu­seums have been found to have eaten acacia seeds.

The parrots seem to change their location to coincide with the seasonal plant growth, so they are assured of food year­round. The princess parrot is a dry country bird and sel­dom feeds in wet areas.

directly on the dust of the decaying wood. Incubation takes approximately three weeks, and only the female sits on the eggs.

~ PRINCESS PARROT &:MAN

Acclaimed as one of the most beautiful Australian parrots, the princess parrot is a well­established aviary species and breeds well in captivity. It does best in large aviaries, where it is less likely to be­come too tame. Hybrids have been created by breeding with other Polytelis species, and with the red-winged parrot and the Amboina king parrot. Too rare to be of value to bird catchers, the princess parrot and its young are oc­casionally caught and eaten by Australian Aborigines.

Princess parrots often breed in areas where they have not been seen before. Once the chicks can fly, the birds leave the area and never return.

Above: The princess parrot flies high and apparently effortlessly.

Below: The parrots are usually found in pairs, although they are rarely seen by humans.

GOLDFINCH "= ...... _--------- -----

ORDER Passeriformes

FAMILY Fringillidae

GROUP 2: BIRDS GENUS &: SPECIES Carduelis carduelis

The goldfinch is a common sight throughout Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. The family groups of these colorful birds

are appropriately called 1/ charms. 1/

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: 4-5 in. Weight: 1/2-3/4 oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Breeding season: April to

September. No. of broods: 2-3 . Eggs: 4-6. Incubation period: 11-1 3 days.

Fledging period: 1 3-1 6 days.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Social.

Diet: Seeds. Range of the goldfinch.

DISTRIBUTION Call: High-pitched twitter.

Lifespan: 8 years maximum.

RELATED SPECIES Europe, Asia, North Africa, Egypt, Australia, and New

Zealand.

CONSERVATION 24 species in the genus Carduelis. 122 species of finch in the family

Fringil/idae, including the

chaffinch, Fringil/a coelebs; the

greenfinch, Carduelis chloris; and

the citril finch, Serinus citrinella.

Despite some trapping in Europe, the species is in no danger

of extinction.

FEATURES OF THE GOLDFINCH

Plumage: Sexes similar: brown back, black and white tail and head ,

red face, yellow wing bands.

Flight: White rump and yellow wing bars visible. During winter, it flies into towns or migrates to warmer areas.

Eggs: Fou r to six per clutch, pale , speck­

led red-brown . Incubated by female . Hatch after two weeks.

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Chicks: Stay in nest for up to three weeks. Fed partially

digested insects and

seeds by both

wilt by female in outer es of large trees. Deep cup

lined with thistledown and held together with spider webs.

0160200231 PACKET 23

The goldfinch is a common garden visitor.

Its tweezerlike bill and short, stiff face

feathers allow it to eat seeds from even

the prickliest seed cases. It hangs upside

down to feed and can hold food with its

claws-a rare ability among birds.

~ HABITS The goldfinch spends most of its time in open country. During the breeding season, the charms (groups) are small; at other times the birds may gather in charms up to as many as 1,000 in number.

During the autumn and

DID YOU KNOW? • One female goldfinch built her nest from plastic labels untied from trees. Another built her nest in an unused gas lamp. • The goldfinch was intro­duced into New Zealand where it is now a pest on strawberry farms.

winter, many birds move into towns in search of weeds to feed on. Others in the northern part of the range migrate south, to Holland, Belgium, western France, Spain, and Portugal until weather improves.

• The goldfinch likes to feed on teasel seeds, but it some­times dies after becoming trapped by the hooked seed heads. • Over 1 30,000 goldfinches were trapped in Sussex, England each year in the early nineteenth century.

~ BREEDING Around March, the goldfinch searches for nest sites. The outer branches of large trees are favorite locations.

The nest is a skillfully con­structed, compact cup lined with white thistledown and held together by spider webs. It is deep enough to keep the eggs and chicks safe from high winds. Although both partners visit the nest site, it is the female that builds the nest while the male sits and watches.

Left: The goldfinch's brilliant plumage makes it easy to identify in the wild.

BIRDWATCH The goldfinch's beautiful coloring and distinctive call make it easy to recognize. Encourage it to visit your garden by leaving mixed seeds on a bird feeder, or plant flower beds with cos-

The female lays two or three clutches every year, each clutch containing four to six eggs. The eggs are pale blue speckled with a few red-brown blotches and take just under two weeks to hatch . The male feeds the female while she incubates the eggs.

The newborn chicks are buff colored. They stay in the nest for two or three weeks and are fed by both parents on a diet of regurgitated seeds and insects.

Right: A fledgling goldfinch has buff-colored feathers covering its gold wing flashes.

mos and marigolds-the goldfinch loves to feed on seed heads in autumn .

If your garden has fruit t rees or bushes, you may fi nd a goldfinch's nest hidden in the greenery.

~ GOLDFINCH & MAN The beautiful plumage and appealing song of the gold­finch have made it a popular bird with bird lovers for hun­dreds of years. Bird trappers used to make a living by sup­plying live goldfinches to caged bird enthusiasts and dead ones to taxidermists.

~ FOOD & FEEDING The goldfinch's scientific name comes from carduelis, Latin for thistle-an appropri­ate name, since the seeds of this plant are its favorite food.

From June through March the goldfinch feeds on thistle seeds. It picks at any seed heads that have fallen to the ground until they are covered by winter snows. Then it feeds on the thistle plants them­selves for seeds.

Other seeds that the gold­finch prefers are dandelion, ragwort, and groundsel. In winter, burdock becomes an

Left: The goldfinch likes to eat teasel seeds, but the hooked seedheads can be lethal.

Also, its feathers were in demand for decoration on hats. These practices were once a serious threat to the goldfinch population.

In England, legislation has made bird-catching illegal, though some black market trade still exists in Europe.

important food source. This diet makes the goldfinch pop­ular with gardeners, since it eats many weed seeds that would otherwise germinate.

When feeding, the goldfinch clings to stems or hangs up­side down from flower heads. It uses its feet to hold food, something that few other birds can do.

The goldfinch is well adapted to this seed diet. Its beak is long and narrow, like a pair of tweezers, and allows the goldfinch to get seeds other birds are unable to reach. Its short, stiff face feathers protect it from prickly seed casings.

CUCKOO ,,~------------------------------------------~ ~ ORDER

Cuculiformes FAMilY Cuculidae

GENUS & SPECIES Cuculus canorus

The first migrating cuckoos reach Europe from Africa in mid-April. They seek out the habitats of smaller bird species, which they select

to act as host parents for cuckoo chicks.

KEY FACTS

SIZES length: 1 ft . Wingspan: 2 ft. Weight: 4-5 oz.

BREEDING Breeding season: May to July.

Eggs: Up to 25; usually 9, 1 laid

in each nest.

Incubation: 12-13 days. Fledging period: 17-19 days;

independent at 50 days.

LIFESTYLE Call: Male, /lkoo-kooo./l Female,

bubbly chuckle. Habit: Solitary; pairs briefly

during breeding season . Diet: Insects and their larvae.

RELATED SPECIES Closest relative is the oriental

cuckoo, Cuculus saturatus, from

Asia. Of the 128 species of

cuckoo, 12 are members of the

genus Cuculus.

Range of the cuckoo.

DISTRIBUTION Breeds throughout Europe and much of Asia. Winter range is in

central and southern Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines.

CONSERVATION Current population trends are uncertain. A decrease in

numbers in recent decades may result from loss of habitat

and insecticide use. The species is now protected.

FEATURES OF THE CUCKOO THE EGG AND CHICK

The female cuckoo replaces a host bird 's egg with one of her ~"":i~r~~

ow for in ~

species.

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r Plumage is pale, with gray­striped underbelly like a sparrow hawk's. Possibly an adaptation

for scaring a smaller bird from

its nest.

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Cuckoo egg: Speckled and larger than others in nest. May be similar color so that host bird will incubate it.

Hatching: Cuckoo chick usually hatches first and pushes other eggs from the nest.

0160200271 PACKET 27

The cuckoo is known for laying its

eggs in other birds' nests.

The host parents then incubate

the egg and feed the cuckoo

chick-even after it grows to be much

larger than they are.

~HABITAT The European cuckoo returns from Africa during the spring to breed. It inhabits varied types of countryside, including marshes, woodland borders, open farm­land, and areas with abundant shrubbery around open fields. These habitats are most likely to

be the habitats of the smaller birds that the cuckoo chooses as host parents to the young whose eggs are laid in the nest.

In flight, the cuckoo resembles a sparrow hawk, with its long, pointed wings and gray-striped underparts.

~MIGRATION The adult cuckoo leaves its Euro­pean breeding grounds in July to spend the winter in warm central or southern Africa. It returns to Europe the following April to breed again.

Reared by its non-cuckoo host parents, the immature cuckoo leaves later-between August and September. Instinct leads the young cuckoo to the regular winter range. Here, the cuckoo remains quiet and inconspicuous throughout the winter.

~I BIRDWATCH The cuckoo's two-note call is easily recognized and can be heard in the evenings in its summer range between mid-April and June. Although the call carries over long dis­tances, spotting the bird can be difficult; it has dull plum­age and tends to hide wit~ in

leafy cover. Male and female adults

look similar, but the imma­ture cuckoo has a white spot on the nape of its neck. Its plumage is often red-brown instead of gray with stripes.

~ BREED I NG The cuckoo forces the rearing of its young onto birds of different species. The breeding adult fe­male usually looks for host birds of the same species that reared her. In late May she lays one egg in each of about nine different nests after each host pair has laid its own eggs. The cuckoo chooses hosts of a species whose eggs closely resemble her own. Cuckoo eggs are small in relation

~ FOOD & FEEDING The cuckoo finds most of its in­sect diet among bushes and trees. It feeds on the ground as well, but the bird is clumsy when walking. It snaps up any insect laNae it finds.

The female cuckoo tries to find the nests of insect-eating host birds to ensure the right diet for her young. The cuckoo chick is fed by the host birds on a diet of caterpillars, grasshoppers, flies, beetles, and small snails.

Below left: The cuckoo feeds exclusively on insects and larvae.

Below right: This cuckoo egg will be incubated like the dunnock egg it replaced.

to the bird's size and similar in size to the host's eggs. It takes the cuckoo only a few seconds to remove an egg belonging to the host bird and replace it with one of hers. This keeps the number of eggs in the nest the same.

The cuckoo has evolved a short incubation period, so its chick usually hatches before the host bird's eggs. Although blind and featherless at birth,

Far left: The young cuckoo often has red­brown plumage.

Left: The chick is born with a strong instinct for survival.

Below: An adult sedge warbler feeds the cuckoo chick that it has hatched.

the cuckoo chick shifts the other eggs, one at a time, onto its back to toss them from the nest. The newborn cuckoo tries to remove any hatched chicks in the same way.

The cuckoo chick soon grows far larger than its host parents, who continue to feed it. At three to four weeks old it has increased 50 times in size and is ready to leave the nest.

DID YOU KNOW? • The European cuckoo's preferred host parent spe­cies include pipits, war­blers, and robins. • A cuckoo chick's calls may lure birds other than its host parents to feed it. • The cuckoo is named for the sound of its call in most countries: France, coucou; Holland, koekoek; Germany, kuckuk; and Ja­pan, kak-ko.

TUFTED DUCK

,,~----------------------------~ ORDER

Anseriformes FAMILY Anatidae

GENUS & SPECIES Aythya fu/igu/a

The tufted duck is one of the best known of all the freshwater diving ducks. Both male and female sport the distinctive

drooping crest that gives the duck its name.

KEY FACTS ------------------------------------------------------~

SIZES Length: 1-2 ft. Wingspan: 2-3 ft. Weight: 1-2 lb. Males heavier than

females.

BREEDING Sexual Maturity: 1- 2 years.

Mating season: May to August.

Incubation period: 23- 28 days.

No. of eggs: 8-11, gray-green.

Fledging period: 45-50 days.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Migratory, freshwater

diving duck. Diet: Mollusks, crustaceans,

insects, seeds. Lifespan : Oldest known bird,

14 years.

RELATED SPECIES

Include the greater scaup, Aythya

marital and the ferruginous

duck, A. nyroca.

Year-round

DISTRIBUTION

Wintering areas

Breeding areas

Breeds throughout central Europe and Asia from Iceland to

northern Japan. Winters in southern Europe, Africa, and

southeast Asia . Resident only in western Europe.

CONSERVATION

Widespread and numerous despite pollution and habitat

loss. Its population is steadily increasing .

FEATURES OF THE TUFTED DUCK

Male: White flanks and underbelly. Feathers on the back of head are glossy purple. In flight the wings are long and pointed.

Nest: The female builds a simple grass and down-lined nest close to the water's edge.

Female: Unif@fmly -~;~~~~~~~~~i1~~~ brown, with a ~ ........ ~ ...... white patch at the base of the bill.

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The tufted duck is Europe's most common

diving' duck, and it is second only to the mallard

in its willingness to colonize man-made habitats.

Reservoirs, flooded gravel pits, boating lakes,

and even small city park ponds are home to

this dainty, golden-eyed duck.

Found throughout the cen­tral, more temperate regions of Eurasia and Africa, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts, the tufted duck re­sides only in western Europe. Elsewhere it is migratory, breeding as far north as Lap­land and wintering as far south as Ethiopia.

A freshwater species, the

tufted duck is rarely seen at sea except during its seasonal migrations or during periods of extreme cold. Although its habitat varies, it favors large lowland lakes, flooded marsh­es, and ornamental lakes and ponds.

In winter, huge flocks gather on coastal lagoons, estuaries, and reservoirs.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The tufted duck is an excellent diver; it spends hours each day foraging underwater. Each dive begins with a swift for­ward leap that allows the duck to arch its neck and plunge its beak steeply into the water. It descends with powerful strokes of its webbed feet. Males can remain underwater for up to 30 seconds, although most dives last half that time. Water snails and other mol­lusks are its main prey, togeth­er with various crustaceans, small fish, and aquatic insects.

The tufted duck also grazes on water plants and the seeds of milfoil and spike rush. It may upend, or dabble for food, catching insects and their lar­vae living on the water's sur­face.

Occasionally the tufted duck forages on land, since it is fond of cereal grain . City-dwelling ducks will take handouts from people who feed them in parks.

Left: The tufted duck usually chooses a lakeside habitat, sur­rounded by dense reeds or other marsh vegetation.

Middle right: Ducklings fledge after about eight weeks.

In its range, the tufted duck is a familiar sight on large lakes and reservoirs . During breed­ing season the male is easy to identify by the purple sheen of its black plumage and its characteristic crest feathers. Its tendency to gather in large flocks, and its bright white flanks and belly make the bird

easy to recogn ize. The female's crest is barely

noticeable, and she is harder to recognize, although she has the same profile as the male. Some females also have wh ite feathers at the base of their bills and can thus be confused with the female scaup duck.

DID YOU KNOW? • In flight, the tufted duck's wings make a char­acteristic whistling sound.

• Tufted ducks often nest within gull or tern colonies, probably because the gulls drive off crows and other egg thieves.

• Adapted for diving, the tufted duck has short, pointed wings, which

~ BREEDING The tufted duck finds a new mate each year. Some birds pair before migrating, while others find a partner when they reach the breeding site. The ducks court communally in noisy displays that involve head shaking, bill dipping, and ritual wing preening.

The birds arrive at the win­ter breeding grounds from March to May and begin nesting. The nest is usually located in a clump of reeds or among bankside foliage.

When the female has laid the eggs, she incubates them for 25 days, covering them with an insulating layer of down whenever she leaves to feed .

The young tufted duck is able to feed itself within hours of hatching, and it fledges at eight weeks. By September the young ducks are ready for the long flight south to their winter quarters.

Top left: Island nesting sites offer protection from predators and humans.

Left: The female usually cares for her chicks for eight weeks, although she may desert them sooner if her summer molt (feather shedding) begins early.

make taking flight diffi­cult. The duck must patter quickly across the water before it can become airborne.

• During courtship the male tufted duck con­tracts the pupils 'of its eyes so that the golden irises glow with a dazzling brilliance.