Collins Birds of the World

7/29/2019 Collins Birds of the World

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Les BcletskyI.'-lrctrated byD.{\'ID NURNEYlOH)i SILLFR.\\K KNIGHT3RIAN SMALLF{. DOUGLAS PRATTrOHN GALED.{\'ID BEADLEDI.{NE PIERCED.\\ LANEloHN o'NEILL\OR}TAN ARLOTT

{ Collins


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O zoo6 Les BeletskyAll rights reserved. Published zoo6Printed in China on acid-free paper9 8 7 6 513 2 rzoog zoo8 zooT zoo6Published in the United Kingdom byCollins, an imprint of I{arperCollins PublishersHupcrCollins Publishcrs77-85 Fulham Palace RoadLondonw6 81nOnline at www. collins.co.ukCollins is a registered trademark of HrrpcrCollinsPublishcrs LtdPreprrrcd byScott clc NLx, Inc.r5o West z8th StreetSuite rro3New York, New York rooor-6ro4www.scottandnLx.comISBN-r3 978 o oo 724236 8ISBN-ro o oo 724236 oFrontispiece: Red-billcd Streamertail (Trochi|us pol1tmu:)


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Contents

ryut.&uzlledgmentslroductionRrites: Ostrich, Emu,

Cassowaries, Rheas, and KiwisT'memousRaguinsLoos@ivers)ffiAf,atrosseshuels and ShearwatersSum-petrels; Diving-petrelsTrropicbnds ; FrigatebirdsR5cznsBoobies and GannetsCamorants;Anhingasllcrons, Egrets, and BitternsSorls; Shoebill; Hamerkoptrisr:s and Spoonbills

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Flamingos; ScreamersDucks, Geese, and SwansNewWorld VulturesHawks, Eagles, and Kites;

Osprey; SecretarybirdFalconsMegapodesPheasants, Partridges, and

Grouse; ButtonquailNewWorldQrailCurassows, Guans, and

ChachalacasGuineafowl;TirrkeysRails, Gallinules, and CootsCranesLimpkin; Tiumpeters; SeriemasSungrebes; Sunbittern; Kagu;MesitesBustardsJacanasSandpipers, Phalaropes, and

Snipes; Painted-snipesPlovers and Lapwings

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kctzttlkbtorledgments[nrroductionRedtes: Ostrich, Emu,

Cassowaries, Rheas, and KiwisT'm-amousRaguinsI-oons (Divers)ffies-{IbatrossesFfirels and ShearwatersStorm-petrels ; Diving-petrelsTropicbirds ; FrigatebirdshlicansBmbies and GannetsCormorants;AnhingasHcons, Egrets, and BitternsSmrk; Shoebill; HamerkopIbises and Spoonbills

xlFlamingos; ScreamersDucks, Geese, and SwansNewWorld VulturesHawks, Eagles, and Kites;

Osprey; SecretarybirdFalconsMegapodesPheasants, Partridges, and

Grouse; ButtonquailNewWorldQrailCurassows, Guans, and

ChachalacasGuineafowl;TirrkeysRails, Gallinules, and CootsCranesLimpkin; Tiumpeters; SeriemasSungrebes; Sunbittern; Kagu;MesitesBustardsJacanas

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S andpipers, Phalaropes, andSnipes; Painted-snipes rr5

Plovers and Lapwings rr9


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Thick-knees; Seedsnipes;Plains-wandererOystercatchers; Crab-ploverStilts and Avocets; IbisbillPratincoles and CoursersGulls andTernsSkuas; Skimmers; SheathbillsPuffins andAuksSandgrousePigeons and DovesParrotsCockatoosTuracosCuckoosGround-cuckoos; Anis; HoatzinOwlsNightjarsFrogmouths ; Owlet-Nightj ars;Potoos;OilbirdSwifts;TieeswiftsHummingbirdsMousebirdsTiogonsKingfishersTodiesMotmotsBee-eatersRollers; Ground-Rollers;Cuckoo-RollerHornbillsJacamars; Woodhoopoes; HoopoePuffbirdsBarbets

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AI CONTENTS

ToucansHoneyguidesWoodpeckersPittasBroadbills;Asities;NewZealandWrensWoodcreepersOvenbirdsAntbirdsTapaculos; GnateatersCotingasManakinsNewWorld FlycatchersCreepers ; AustralasianTreecreepers; Rhabdornises 263Lyrebirds; Scrub-birds 265Bowerbirds 269Fairy-wrens and Grasswrens 27rThornbills, Scrubwrens, andPardalotes 275Honeyeaters and Australian

ChatsAustralasian RobinsWhisdersLogrunners; Australasian

Babblers; AustralianMudnesters; N ew ZeafandWattlebirdsWhipbirds, Qrail-thrushes,andJewel-babblersMonarch Flycatchers and

FantailsDrongosJays, Crows, Ravens, and N'lagpiesBirds-of-Paradise

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',\-:" nlsu-allows3 :::herbirds and Currawongs;\Iagpie-larks- :-birds,Ioras,andFain-bluebirdsC -; \\brld OriolesC ::-


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Preface

3 : R D s ARE BEAUTIrur animals andmanypeople enjoywatchingthem.,:. our contemporary societies,wild birds, in addition to the pleasures they::or-ide with their compelling physical forms, colors, and behaviors, are:


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This book is an introduction to the birds of the world. It is to let birdersand others know"what else is out there,"in terms ofbird families and species,and where, generally, these birds are located.It is not an encyclopedia ofornithology, nor is it a catalog of or visual guide to all the world's bird species.The main text,which tells aboutbird families,provides the essentials aboutbird groups,but only a small fraction ofthe rich and extensive informationnow available about the general ecology and behavior ofa substantialproportion of the world's birds. And the illustration plates provide field-guide-like images of a good sampling of species-more than thirteenhundred total- found in each avian family. But ifthis book's introduction tothe world's birds sufficiently raises one's interest level, then there are myriadother books that can further that interest, including bird encyclopedias,country-by-country field guides, and even volumes devoted to singlebird families.

Many books ofthis kind offer, as an introduction, a primer of ornithology,defining the characteristics ofbirds and telling generallv of their ecology andbehavior. Instead, in keeping with the "birds of the world" emphasis, at theend of the book I discuss two basic, interrelated questions: how many typesof birds are there? and where do birds occur geographical\'? Also, becausebird diversityis increasinglvjeopardized,I discuss some ofthe major threatsfaced bybirds.

My hope for this book is that it stimulates some readers rvho have only amild interest in birds orwildlife to further that interest and perhaps becomefrequent or serious wildlife watchers, and that it propels some newer birders,who have the time and resources, to begin exploring the world's birds-notjust in the pages of books, but in the field.

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.1,-I n o'c'ledgme nts

:- {\o\\'LEDGE THE ASSTsTANCE oF THE pEopLEwhocontributed- :- ,-: ': ook and helped put it together. trirst,I thank the artists who permitted- - . -: : erutiful bird images to be included here.They are, in descending order'- -:rber of species illustrated, David Nurney,John Sill, Frank Knight,: :..:- Small, H. Douglas Pratt,John Gale, David Beadle, Diane Pierce,- .:- Lane,John O'Neill, and Norman Arlott. (Artist credits for indMdual- -.::rtions maybe found at www.jhu.edu.)I especiallythankDavid Nurney: : ::inting extra bird images when they were needed at the last moment.1.1.:-r'of the African birds illustrated in this book (237 total bird images, by, -::.:. Iohn Gale, Brian Small, and Norman Arlott) are reproduced froml=:r' Stevenson andJohn Fanshawe , Field Guide to the Birds ofEastAfrica- ::ion: A. and C. Black andT and A. D. Poyser, zooz), and I thankA. and- 3-ack Publishers, Nigel Redman, and Paul Langridge for permission to--- :hese illustrations.The researchers,writers, and compilers of avian data.: : -:te histories, field guides, and major reference works from which I culled- --h information also deserve my appreciation and acknowledgment;the- :':r sources I used are provided in the bibliography. For various kinds of,:--.:,,rrtant assistance, especially for their expert ornithological knowledge, I: ..:-k David L. Pearson and Dennis Paulson. Richard Francis, Sharon Birks,;:. : Gordon Orians read and commented on various parts ofthe boolis text,-- ::J Cynthia Wang, and I thank them all for their constructive criticisms.: J .uggestions for improvements. Last,I thank my editors and the art and:. , i.uction staffat theJohns Hopkins University Press, Scott &Nix,Inc.,--.-..el1 Galen,Vincent Burke, and, finally, CynthiaWang,who helped me: ,-:.:rsivelywith editing and artwork organrzation.

ACKNowLEDGMENTS xi


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Introduction

B i rds and Bird-rotatching3rRDS ARE woNDERFuL animals towatch. Sure,we couldwatch=ammals or reptiles or dragonflies or even worms, and each ofthese, except:erhaps the last, has its aficionados and defenders. But the great majorityof:. rvho enjoy animal watching in the wild gravitate to birds. Many millions,',f people in the United States and Europe watch birds at least occasionally,"nd bird-watching as a participatory nature activity is on the rise in manyother parts of the world, indicating the great general interest in these:eathered animals. A case in point: on a recent trip to some of Thailand'srational parks,I was surprised and pleased to find not only American andEuropean birders roaming forests looking for birds, but also manyThait)milies, clad in khaki and tan and outfitted with binoculars and telescopes,doing the same.

What is the source of our fascination with birds? And why,when weselect wild animals to watch, do we tend to choose birds? Most of us couldquickly compile a list ofpossible reasons besides the obvious one: birds arebeautiful. Such a list might include:

' Birds are mainly d ay - actrve animalsl like most of us, they areout and about during daylight hours and asleep at night. Manyother kinds of large animals-especially mammals-are moreactive at night,which makes finding and observing them muchmore difficult.

' Birds fly, and as a consequence of this marvelous abiliry they

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do not always depart with all due haste after being spotted,as is common with most other types ofvertebrate animals.Their abiliry to fly, and thus easily evade our grasp, permitsmany birds when confronted with people to leisurely go abouttheir business (albeit keeping one eye on us at all times), oftenallowing extensive time to watch them.Many birds are highly or moderately conspicuous. They areespecially evident during their breeding seasons, when manyof them change into bright, pleasing plumages and engagein courtship displays-such as energetic dances or acrobaticflights, the spreading and waving of long, colorful tail feathers,loud vocalizations-that attract the notice not just of otherbirds (the presumed audience) but ofpeople as well. Sometypes ofbirds, of course, are conspicuous all the time, includingthe larger, visually arresting birds such as colorful parrots,toucans, and hornbills in the tropics and large birds ofpreythe world over. Equally conspicuous, although plainer andsmaller, are the garden, park, pond, and city birds such as manymembers of the duck, gull, plover, pigeon, thrush, starling/myna, crow, finch, sparrow, and blackbird families.Birds engage in many behaviors that are truly fascinating. Ashort list ofthese includes (r) breeding-season displays andnest-building behaviors, (z) mind-boggling migrations thatmay involve biannual flights of thousands of miles, frombreeding sites in temperate or arctic regions to wintering sitesoften in tropical or subtropical areas, (3) spectacular flyingprowess, such as that ofhummingbirds (which,with theirsuperbly designed and rapidlybeatingwings, can hover andactually fly backward), swifts (which tend to flv throughoutthe day), and albatrosses (which soar over oceans for extendedperiods essentiallywithout beating their wings), and(4) amazinglyvaried breeding systems and sometimesseemingly torturous nesting efforts, such as that of hornbills,with their unique breeding during which the female of a pairis encased within a tree cavity and fed by her mate through asmall hole, and bowerbirds, many males ofwhich build large

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. :::inq structures ofplant materials, decorate them, and then-,-- -..r' them to females in hopes of convincing them to mate.' 3::c. ere innocuous. Typically the worst that can happen::, :r anv encounter is a soiled shirt. Contrast that with: - -close, potentially dangerous meetings with certain:.::i1es (r,enomous snakes, crocodiles), amphibians (frogs.:-; silamanders with toxic skin secretions), fish (sharkj,rqers), and mammals (bears or big cats).While it is true::-.jr an Ostrich or cassowary can injure with a swift kick, such:,1-irging encounters are extremely rareinthe wild. Safety-: doubtedly contributes to birds being the most frequently',,. :rched wildlife.

--:- : :lese attractions the benefits of an active outdoor pastime often. - : --:ed in beautiful, wild surroundings, the intellectual challenge of- - . j=:::ification, and the nature-study and "collecting" elements of bird-

,, -- -. --:-:. end it is not difficult to understand its populariry or even its many- : .:---.:-rtical adherents.-r.- :eople learn about birds and bird-watching, inevitably they develop

- - .::::ciation for bird diversity.This brings us to the purpose of this book,,, - - ---, r: io introduce readers to all the world's bird types.

- -- primary organrzation of the book follows scientific animal---.:.:rrion, in particular,the bird species ofthe'r,vorld separated into groups- -:: )rders and families.Ifyou are unfamiliarwith animal classification- r =.i ro refresh your memory, explanations and definitions are below.- -,.'. = :ollowed a classification that divides birds of the world into about- .- -.ndred families and about 9,/5o species (generally following the--,::;ations of the Lynx Edicions Handbook of the Birds of the World,and-' : :::: edition ofJ. F. Clements,-Birds ofthe World:A Cbecklist).

.r: :he end ofthe book are questions and answers on diversiry abundance,,-- - :-oqraphy of birds. Several seemingly simple questions-How many.-. :: L)f birds are there? Why are some birds abundant but others rare?-,',',--,' io some occur in such small numbers that they are threatened with: .:-:. ; :i on? Where are birds located and why?-have fairly complex answers.- . :::standing these basics of avian diversity and biogeography is central to.-. ' :-i;rg a broad appreciation ofthe feathered vertebrates.

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GENERAL PLAN OF THE BOOKAND TERMS USED IN THE TEXTTH E LAyour oF this book is such that each bird family, or group offamilies, is described on a few pages of text, and several species in the familyor families are illustrated in an associated color plate. For large, visuallydiverse families, three plates, instead of one, are associated with the textaccount. Some of the world's leading bird artists produced the artwork.Most of the images are of the kind used in field guides;usually the bird isportrayed in a formal perched or standing position that allows a good viewof its distinguishing physical characteristics. Particular bird species werechosen for illustration for various reasons: some because they are commonand widespread representatives of relevant families, some because they arerare or narrowly distributed or particularly striking. The goal is to providethe reader with a good overview of each family's diversiry.The plates includecommon and scientific names of the illustrated birds, their bodylengths, andgeneral geographic distributions.Most of the family accounts begin with introductory commentsand then proceed to information about family classification, diversity,distribution, morphology, ecology and general behavior, breeding behavior,and conservation status.

Introductory CommentsThis section identifies the group in question and relates, in a nontechnicalway, what distinguishes the group from others and which aspects of itsbiology are especially noteworthy (if any).

Classf.cationClassification information is used by scientists to separate birds and otherorganisms into related groups.It is provided here as it often enhances ourappreciation ofbirds to know these relationships. Below is a quick review ofrelevant animal classifi cation:

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KI \cDoM ANIMALIA: Allthe species detailedinthebookare members of the animal kingdom, as are mammals, reptiles,amphibians, fish, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, worms, andmanv others.P HYLUM CHORDATA, SUBPHYLUM VERTEB RATA:-\ll species in the book are vertebrates, animals with backbones,as are mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.c L A s s : The book covers a single vertebrate class, Aves,rhe birds.o R D E n: Class Aves is divided into twenty-nine orders (in thisbook's particular classification scheme);the birds in each ordershare many characteristics. For example, one of the avian ordersis Falconiformes,which encompasse s all the day-active birds ofprer; including hawks, falcons, and NewWorld vultures.F -{ M I ry : Families of animals are subdivisions of each orderthat contain closely related species that are often similar intbrm, ecology, and behavior.The familyAccipitridae, forinstance, contains hunting birds that all have hooked bills,powerful legs and feet, sharp, curved claws, and that are allcarnivorous-hawks, kites,buz.zards, eagles, and Old Worldrru.ltures. Birds of the world, in this book, are divided into aboutnvo hundred families.c E N u s : Further subdivisions;within each genus are speciesthat are very closely related; they are all considered to haveevolved from a common ancestor.s pEc I n s : The lowest classificationlevel; all members ofaspecies are similar enough to be able to breed together andproduce fertile offspring.

-L .:.n example ofhowbirds are classified,here is the classification of a single.:


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p H y L u M : Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata, with more than47,ooo sPeciesc LAS s: Aves (Birds),with about 9,8oo species.o R D E R : Falconiformes, with about 3o7 species; includeshawks, kites, eagles, falcons, NewWorld vultures, the Osprey,and the Secretarybird.FA M I I-v : Accipitridae, with 237 species; includes hawks, kites,and eagles.c E N u s: Aquila,with u species; one group of eagles.s p E c I a s : Aguila cbrysaetos,the Golden Eagle.

A main classification division among birds is that between passerines andnonpasserines.The passerine birds (order: Passeriformes) are the perchingbirds,with feet specializedto grasp and to perch on tree branches.Theseare the more recently evolved birds (the most "advanced") and include allthe small land birds with which we are most familiar-flycatchers, robins,crows,wrens,warblers, blackbirds, finches, sparrows, and so on,The passerineorder is the most diverse of the bird orders, including more than 5o percentof all bird species (about fifty-eight hundred species) and about half thebird families. A major subgroup within the passerines (containing aboutforty-five hundred species) is called the oscines, or songbirds: they all have adistinctive, advanced syrinx, the sound-producing organ in their respiratorypassages.The oscines are responsible for most of the avian world's moremelodic vocalizations.The remainder of the globe's birds-seabirds andshorebirds, ducks and geese, hawks and owls, parrots and woodpeckers, anda host ofothers-are nonpasserines, divided among the other twenty-eightorders.The nonpasserine family accounts in this book pertain to the ratitebirds (Ostrich, Emu, etc.) through the woodpeckers; the passerine accountsare the ones that dealwith the pittas through the NewWorld blackbirds.

Common bird names, such as Song Sparrow or European Starling,sometimes vary from place to place. A species that occurs in Europe andAfrica may have different names on the two continents, or the same speciesmay have different names in East Africa and Southern Africa.There areongoing attempts to standardize such English names, but not yet universal

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*-:..:-.ent. Scientific names are less variable, but they sometimes change-- :=.= -rchers make new classification decisions. For example, the same- :- .::cies may have different genus names depending on the source- -. --:ed.The names I have used in this book,both common and scientific,- --= :r.rinlr'from Lynx Edicions Handbook of the Birds of the World or the.-- :.'i:ion ofJ. F. Clements, Birds of the World:A Checklist.There is also- -.:: --,\-e rsv over how best to write compound bird names, for example,' ',' :,:,:ro Fruit Dove,Wompoo Fruit-dove, orWompoo Fruit-Dove. I've--.:: : r be consistent in these kinds of names, but for this book's purposes,- -- -- :r--inute details are of minimal concern.

- - ,., itt,I- = '.,,.-.rds diperse and dioersity areused in different ways in various scientific..- : :=;hnical fields. Here, a diverse group, such as a diverse family, means one,,- :-. . relatively high number of species. Thus, the loon family (Gaviidae),,, - : -- = global total of5 species, is not very diverse; the duck, geese, and swan

- *-, --r' -\natidae), with 47 species, has a high degree of diversity. Diversiry,, .-..:- -ised in this context, is similar to the term biodiversity,whrchrefers- :- : Jifferent types of animals, plants, and other life forms found within. r : .--,r o . A group or family that is "ecologicaliy diverse" is one that exhibits- .:', jitTerent adaptations to the environments inwhich its members occur.- : .:.tance, an ecologically diverse groupr such as the jay and crow family-- :-,-idae), might occur in several different habitat types, eat various types:': , ,Js, and employ a variety of foraging methods.\\'hen I provide a definite number of species in a given family, such as'---.::: J.re ro species of motmotsi'I mean there are ro living species;recently: -:-:-.t species are not included in these totals. Often I do not give exact- -::.ie rs of species; instead I give approximations, such as "there are about: - :':ecies in the jay and crow family." For reasons I detail in the book s- ..:luding essay, exact species numbers are sometimes problematic.

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DistributionI give the geographic distribution of each bird family, generally in termsof the continents on which its member species occur. North America,in the family descriptions and in the information provided on the colorplates, includes Mexico (noted here because many bird field guides forNorth American birds include only species that occur north ofMexico). Adistribution of land birds given as "worldwide" or "global" actually meansthat the group in question occurs on all continents exceptAntarctica,wherethere are essentially no terrestrial birds. A few specialized terms are used todescribe famrly distributions, and a reading of "Zoogeographic Regions:Describing Bird Distributions"at the back of the bookwill be helpful inthis regard.The only geographic terms used often that might be unfamiliarto many readers are Neotropics,which refers to South and Central America,southern Mexico, and the West Indie s;Australasia,which refers to the regionmainly encompassing Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand (but alsosometimes Polynesia and Micronesia); Old World,which includes Europe,Asia, and Africa (and sometimes Australia); and New World,which refersto South, Central, and North America.Some key terms regarding bird distributions are

' Range: the particular geographic area occupied by a species' Native or indigenous: both mean "occurring naturally in aparticular place"

' Introduced: "occurring in a particular place owing to peoples'intentional or unintentional assistance with transportation,usually from one continent to another; the opposite of native"

' Endemic: "occurring in a particular place and nowhere else";a species, a genus, or an entire family, can be said to be endemic.(See the section entitled "Endemics: Some Birds Occur inVery Limited Areas" on p. 4%.)

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u)n the color plates, I provide general natural ranges for each illustrated-:e cies, usually in terms of continents on which various species occur.funges for migratory species usuallyinclude both breeding and nonbreeding- rcations. A range given as "North America, South America" generally-rcludes Central America.

\ IcrphologyErrlv in each account are details of the typical family morphology-the:=neral shape, size, and coloring ofthe various constituent species.Whether::-ales and females within a species look similar or different is noted. On:::e color plates, in most cases, if only one individual is pictured, you may; : sume that male and female of that species look alike, almost alike, or have-:Jv minor differences in appearance;when there are major sex differences,:.ually both male and female are depicted. Bird sizes are usually given as-,rgths,which are traditionally measured from tip ofbill to end of tail. For--:.e passerine birds, when I use the words large, medium-size, small, or very.:ra1l to describe their sizes,large usuallymeans more than rz inches (:o cm)- eg; medium-size means between 6 to 7 inches (r5 to 18 cm) and rz inches

_: o cm); small means 4 to 6 inches (ro to 15 cm); and very small means less:::an 4 inches (ro cm).Typical bird lengths, sometimes ranges oflengths, are: :ovided on the plates themselves. A large range may indicate that the male.::d female of a species arevery different lengths, or the species in question---:.s a long,variable-length tail. Abbreviations on the plates, referring to age:.rd breeding status, are: B R D, breeding; N o N - B R D, non-breeding; and: \I lI , rmmature.

E:clogy and General Behaviorie these sections I describe some ofwhat is known about the basic activities: rrsued by each group. Much of the information relates to the habitat qpes:nvironments) the birds occupy,when and where the birds are usually active,-,r'hat they eat, and how they forage.Arboreal birds pursue life and food in

::ees or shrubs; terrestrial ones pursue life and food on the ground.Whether:irds tend to stay in social groups is also noted.

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Breeding BehaaiorHere I comment on each group's breeding, including types of matingsystems employed, special breeding behaviors, and nesting particulars.A monogamous mating system is one inwhich one male and one femaleestablish a pair-bond and contribute fairly evenly to each breeding effort.In polygamous systems, individuals of one of the sexes have more than onemate (that is, they have harems): in polygynous systems, one male mates withseveral females, and in polyandrous systems, one female mates with severalmales. Some bird species are "promiscuous"breeders.In these species, nopair-bonds are formed between males and females. Males mate with morethan one female and females probablyoften do the same.Males individuallystake out display sites,usually at traditional communal courting areas (calledleks), and repeatedly perform vocal and visual displays to attract females.Females enter leks, assess the displaying males, and choose the ones withwhich theywish to mate.In this type ofbreeding, females leave after matingand then nest and rearyoung alone.

Conseruation StatusDetailed here, usually very briefly, is the conservation status of eachgroupr including information on relative rarity or abundance, and factorscontributing to population declines.I also provide the numbers of specieswithin each avian family that are presently threatened. Several organizationspublish lists of threatened species, and these lists do not always agree oncriteria used for inclusion on the lists or on the species listed. Here I followedthe listings ofthe comprehensive Birdlife InternationalT/treatened Birds ofthe World.lhe term tbreatenedin mywriting is simply a synonym for a birdspecies "in jeopardy,"not a formally defined level ofthreat.The three formallevels of threat to bird populations used here are

r. c R I T I c A L Ly E N DA N G E R E D : species with very smallremaining populations or tinyranges, or that are undergoingveryrapid population declines. Such species face an extremelyhigh riskofextinction in the immediate future; a criticallyendangered species has onlyan estimated5o Percentchance ofavoiding extinction during the next ten years orthree generations.

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2-ENDANGERED : species known to be in imminent dangerofextinction throughout their range, highly unlikely tosuwive unless strong conservation measures are taken. Suchspecies face a very high risk of extinction in the near future.

3. vu L N E R A B r r : species known to be undergoing rapiddeclines in the sizes oftheir populations. Unless conservationmeasures are enacted, and the causes of the population declinesidentified and halted, these species are likely to move toendangered status in the near future; such species face a highriskof extinction in the medium-term future.

Abo,'at-risk" or "near-threatened" species are those that, owing to theirEitat requirements or limited distributions, and based on known patternsdhabitat destruction, are extremely likely to move to vulnerable status inficnearfuture.With the above information in mind,we can begin our exploration of6cworld's birds.

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OSTRICHSlt rlhto tnnc/Lrs6; ro6 5 in (r7o z7o cnr)Africa

EMUD ron a i n n o.ta L h ol a n d i a L59 -75 in (r5o r9o cm)Australia

SOUTHERN CASSOlVARY()asuarius tatuat iur5r - 67 in (r jo - r7o cm)r\ustralir, New GLrinea

CREA]'SPOTl ED KIWIA7tcr.1'x haastii19 5 2j t in (5o-6o crn)Nerv Zerland

EROWN KI\\'IATtcr.yx ousha/is19 5-:5 5 Ln (5o 65 cm)Nerv Zealancl


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Ratites:Ostrich, Emu,Cassowaries,RhcaS, and Kiwrs,- srRrcH, EMU, cAS sowARIos, and RHEAs are huge flightless:::ds mainly relegated to the Southern Hemisphere. K I w I s are smaller:::htless birds ofNew Zealard.Together, these birds comprise the world's::r species of ratites, birds with flat, raftlike (ratite) sternums. Other birds-:.:.r'e sternums with deep keels, upon which the breast flight muscles attach:::ink of the deep keel to which attaches the main portion ofwhite meat in: rckens and turkeys).The ratites, flightless birds that run along the ground,---.r-e no need of thick, powerful flight muscles, so have no keel. Biologists:elieve that Ostrich, Emu, cassowaries, and rheas lost their ability to flyr c aus e they followed an evolutio nary p athw ay to become very large, which-.0..:.s beneficial for them; with their long legs, great weight, and sometimes'i{ressive natures, they could run rapidly and defend themselves. But as:::ev evolved to be larger, flying became more and more difficult and was-e . s needed to escape predators; eventually it was lost. As for New Zealand's-ru'is and some other flightless birds, such as some island-dwelling pigeons:rd rails, they rrray have lost the power of flight because they evolved in',1'hat were essentially predator-free zones, where large, powerful wings and: nergetically expensive flight were not needed.

Ratite classification is controversial,with some authorities placing all':ring groups in a single order, Struthioniformes; others divide the ratites::rto Struthioniformes (the Ostrich ofAfrica), Rheiformes (the Greater andL esser Rheas of South America), Casuariiformes (the Emu ofAustralia and:hree cassowaries: one in northeastern Australia and it and two others in

Distribution:S outh Anterica, A.fi'ica,1l u.;/ ralia/Neu; G u in ea,Netr ZealandNo oJ LiringSpeties: toNo oJ'SpccicsVulncrable,Dndangarcd:5, oNo. oJ-Species DxtinctSintc t6oo: z

RATITES: OSTRICH, EMU, CASSO\^/ARIES, RHEAS, AND KIWIS 13


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the New Guinea region), and Apterygiformes (three species of kiwi, all inNewZealand).The o s r RI c H, the mostwidelyknown ofthis group, is the largest and

heaviest of living birds, adult males standing 6.9 to 8.8 feet (z.r to 2.7 m)tall and weighing up to 33o pounds (r5o kg); females are a bit smaller (5.6to 6.2 feetlr.T to r.9 m], up to z4o pounds [uo kg]). Males are mostly blackand white,with either reddish pink or bluish gray necks and legs; femalesare generally brownish with dull white wing feathers. Ostriches occurthroughout much of East and Southern Africa, and extend into Centraland West Africa,wherever their preferred habitats of savanna and otherdry, open, grassy habitats are found. Ostrich wings are used not for flightbut in threat and breeding displays, and they are fanned to cool the body.Their legs are long and powerful, capable ofpropelling these birds at a steadytrot of about 19 miles per hour fuo kph) and a top speed of44 miles per hour(7o kph) during short bursts, and with this speed, they can outrun manypredators. Ostriches eat leaves, flowers, and seeds. Walking slowly, theirheads down and movingfrom side to side,theypickup suitable foods,whichcollect at the top of the neck. Occasionally they pause, stand alert, check fordanger, and swallow the accumulated ball of food. Ostriches occur alone, inpairs, or in groups that can reach hundreds ofbirds.They are day-active, andat night usually roost in groups, individuals squatting on the ground neareach other, typically holding their heads high.

Usually breeding in polygamous groups, one male Ostrich typicallymates with two to five females.The females lay in a single communal nest,which eventually contains fifteen to twenty or more enormous eggs.Thenest is a wide, shallow scrape in the ground; incubation is shared by themale (mainly at night) and the dominant female (during the day).Hatchedyoung are quickly able to walk, run, and feed themselves. Although Ostrichnumbers have been gre^dy reduced, mainly as a result of habitat loss toagriculture, they are still widely distributed and the species as a whole is notthreatened. Commerciallybred Ostriches now may be encountered almostanywhere in the world because they are widely farmed for their meat (valuedas a source oflow-fat protein), feathers (used as decorations), and skin (formaking fine leather products).

E M u s, which roam over most ofthe Australian mainland except heavilysettled or thickly forested areas, are enormous brownish or blackish birds,with pale or bluish bare skin on head and neck. They stand 5 to 6.2 feet (r.5

r4 BIRDS OF THE WORLD


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in

m)

forand

The

tonot

(for

(r.5

: -., m) tall and weigh up to r2o pounds (SS kg); favor open woodland,. .-,'i:.na, and agricultural habitats. They are omnivores, taking grasses and. :---:r vegetation, fruit, seeds, flowers, and insects, and occur alone, in pairs,: -:- 'mall groups of four to nine. A typical day in the life of Emus consists: ==rlr- morning foraging, followed in late morning by a slow amble towardi .\'::er source, feeding as they go. Afternoons are also spent foraging, but.: . .lorver pace; in hot weather, parts of afternoons are spent in tree shade.I :. -rs, rvhich can move along at a quite respectable 3o miles per hour (48!::- \l-hen they are in a hurry, are considered nomadic wanderers, at least in. ::--e of their populations. Having no real territories, they are very mobile,: - rs'ing food availability. Populations in western Australia are known to- -.'e over distances of 3oo+ miles (5oo+ km) in a year. These birds are very

---:'- rus and sometimes approach or even follow people. Aboriginal people: -: j'. attention by waving objects or flashing it with a mirror, then spear it' --.n it approached.-\tier mating, a female Emu lays eggs in a nest of twigs and crushed:.::lation in a depression on the ground, then departs; she may later mate"--:-- other males.The male incubates the eggs and, after hatching, the male

- .:=. tbr the young for up to ayear or more by leading them and, when they.:= .nall,brooding them at night in his feathers.Enus didwell in Australia until European colonization.Theywere killed

'::r abandon by early settlers for their meat and oil (for lamps), and their: r-.> \r'ere collected and eaten. (They were eliminated in Tasmania by the-: j-nineteenth century.) Later, farmers killed them because the birds ate-=1r crops. However, Emus survived and eventually even benefited to a

: :


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invertebrates, and carrion.These large birds occur singly, in pairs, or in smallgroups of up to six individuals.They are fairly sedentary, not moving overlong distances unless forced to bylackoffood. Cassowaries can be aggressivebirds, especiallywhen breeding, and have one verylong, sharp claw on eachfoot that can do considerable damage; they have been known to disembowelmidsize mammals.

Cassowarybreedingis similar to that ofEmus.Two species, the SouthernCassowary and Northern Cassowary, are threatened, both consideredr,ulnerable.The third species, New Guinea's Dwarf Cassowary, is considerednear-threatened. All three species occur in New Guinea,where they are stilla main source of food and other materials for some of the native peoples.Wild birds are hunted and young ones are kept in pens and fed until theyare large enough to eat. A single cassowary provides a lot of meat, feathersfor decorations, sharp claws for arrow construction, and robust leg bones tomake daggers and other tools.

R H EA s , Ostrichlike gray-brown birds restricted to South America(central and southern portions), range up to 5 feet (r.S rn) tall and weigh upto 75 pounds fua kg).The Greater Rhea occurs invarious savanna,woodland,and scrub habitats, but often avoids very open grassland. The Lesser Rheaoccurs in shrublands, grassland, and various high-elevation habitats. Bothfeed mainly on grass, roots, and seeds, but they will also take lizards and smallrodents.They regularly gr^ze among deer or cattle, and are usually foundin small groups of five to fifteen. Long-legged,long-necked, and flightless,they can at times be very shy, and run quickly from danger.

Each rhea male defends a large territory, and tries to attract a haremof females with which to mate.The male prepares a nest (a hollow in theground) and incubates eggs. Each of the females can lay up to fifteen eggs,and a male with a harem of six to eight females can have a nest full ofninery or more eggs. After hatching, the young stay with the father, whoguards them for up to 5 months. Both of the rheas are considered to be near-threatened. -Ihey arc still hunted extensively for their meat, feathers, andskins; their eggs are taken for food; and their natural habitats are increasinglyconverted to agricultural uses.

K I w I s , New Zealand's most famous animal residents, are medium sizeto large, secretive, flightless brown birds. They are now so much a part ofthe New Zealatd national consciousness that New Zealanders travelingoverseas refer to themselves as Kiwis. The three l


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to

uP

of

---.: rret-erred plural) are the smallest ratite birds, ranging in length from 14:. :o inches fu5 to 65 cm), and weighing from z to 8 pounds (o.9 to 3.9 kg).I---ev are generally pear-shaped (relatively small head,larger lower body)i:-. j have long, slightly down-curved bills that are somewhat flexible.Their-=:. are short and sturdy; they lack a tail and have only rudimentarywings.l-et are covered in dense, shaggy brown or gray feathers that almost give::-. .rppearance offur; bills are pinkish, brown, or offwhite. Females withini ::ecies are usually slightly larger and heavier than males.

Kirvis are mainly nocturnal denizens of forests, woodlands, and scrubi:::.. During the day, they sleep in burrows, hollow logs, or under tree roots.::::e rging at night to feed, their diet includes earthworms and other forest-j ,--',: invertebrates, as well as fallen fruits, seeds, and leaves.The Great Spotted-r:',r-i otien forages above treeline in alpine bogs and meadows. Kiwis have an-i:e llent sense ofsmell,which mayassist them in locatingpreyunderground.l---er-use their long bills to probe soft soil for earthworms.These birds are-.:elh'found in pairs and are highly territorial,both sexes defendingparcels: :eal estate ofup to 5o+ acres (zo+ hectares) from other kiwis. Frghts benveen:.rles are probably common. Adult kiwis have powerful legs and claws, so

::-.\'can harm one another.When threatened, males often stand their ground-.* rile the rest ofa kiwi family, ifpresent, scurries for shelter. Kiwi calls,which-= long,loud, and sometimes warbling whistles, are common and are given in,


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GREAT TI NAM O!'finamur majorrt in (46 cm)South Anerica, CeI rral America, Mexico

1'H TC KE1' TI NA il1 OIICr12 t ure l/ ut c i n nanon ome t srr in (28 cm)Central Arnerica, Nlexico

5 I,ATY-B REASTED 1'INAT] OUCr.ypturell ut boouta rd irr in (28 cn)Central America, Mexico

LI1'TLE TINATIOI]Cryt2ttrdlus soui9 in (23 cu)South Amer ica, Cen n aJ Arnericrt, Nl exico

UNDULATED TINAMOUCrylterr/lu: tndu/alurrzin(3ocrn)South Aner ica

_:;*


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Tinamous

T I N A M o u s are secretive, usually elusive, chickenlike birds that areoccasionally seen walking along forest trails in Central and South America.They apparently represent an ancient group ofbirds, most closely related torhe rheas of South America,large, fightless birds in the Ostrich mold.Thetamily,Tinamidae,with aboutforty-five species,is confined inits distributionro the Neotropics,fromMexico to southern Chile andArgentina. Comparedto most other bird families of similar size, relatively little is known abouttinamous. Studying them, even censusing them is difficult. Some inhabitvery remote areas, such as the Amazonforests and high Andes, and theirhabitats are usually denselyvegetated and often marshy.Tinamous are alsostealthy and superbly camouflaged.

Tinamous are perhaps best known for their songs, the loud, pure-tone,melodious whistles that are some of the most characteristic sounds ofneotropical forests.They are often heard on the soundtracks ofmovies withrainforest settings. Sometimes resembling organ- or flute-produced notes,these vocalizations often occur all day long; the UndulatedTinamou, forexample, makes one of the most common sounds of AmazonianBrazTl.Some claim that one ofthe most delightful parts ofneotropical forests is theearly evening serenade of tinamou whistles.Six to 18 inches (r5 to 45 cm) long, tinamous have chunky bodies, withtairly long necks, small heads, and slender bills. They have short legs and veryshort tails.The backpart ofthe bodysometimes appears higherthan it shouldbe, a consequence of a dense concentration of rump feathers.Tinamous are

Di.;/ rih u / io n.NtotroficsNo o.l'l,iringSptrit:r. ohout q.yNo. of'Specir:sl/u /n,: ra bfu,Lnlortgr:rcd..1, zNo o.f'Slccics Exti.n ttSince 16oo'20trih\ z

TI NA MOUS t9


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attired in understated, protective colors such as browns, grays, and olives andare often marked with dark spots or bars. Males and females look alike, withfemales being slightly larger.

Tinamous inhabit avariety of environments, including grasslands andthickets, but most commonly they are forest birds. Except during breeding,they lead a solitary existence.They are among the most terrestriat of birds,foragrng,breeding, and usually sleeping on the ground (some larger forestspecies roost in trees). Very poor flyers, they take fight onlywhen alarmedbypredators or surprised, and then only for short distances; their main formof locomotion is running.The tinamou diet consists chiefly of fruit andseeds,but they also take insects such as caterpillars,beetles, and ants, andoccasionally, small vertebrates such as mice. Some South American speciesdig to feed on roots and termites.Tinamous avoid being eaten themselvesprimarily by staying still, easily blending in with surrounding vegetation,and bywalking slowly and cautiously.If approached closely, tinamous willfy upward in a burst of loud wing-beating and fy, usually less than r5o feet(+5 -), to a new hiding spot in the undergrowth, often colJiding with treesand branches as they go.

Unusual mating systems are characteristic oftinamous, the most intriguingofwhich is a kind of group polyandry (one female mates with several malesduring a breeding season). One or more females will mate with a male andlay clutches of eggs in the same nest for the male to incubate and care for.The females then move on to repeat the process with other males of theirchoosing.Apparentlyin all tinamous the male incubates the eggs and defendsthe young. Nests are simple indentations in the ground, hidden in a thicket orat the base of a tree. F'rom hatching, the young feed themselves.

Outside of protected areas, all tinamous are hunted extensively for food.Tinamou meat is considered tender and tasry albeit a bit strange-looking; it hasbeen described variously as greenish and transparent. Still, tinamous'crypticcoloring and secretive behavior must serve the birds well because, althoughhunted, many species still maintain healthy populations. Some are known tobe able to move readily from old, uncut forest to secondary, recently cut forest,demonstrating an adaptability that should allow these birds to thrive even amidmajor habitat alterations such as deforestation. Currently five South Americanspecies are considered vulnerable.Two others, Colombia's MagdalenaTinamouand Peru's Kalinowski's Tinamou, are critically endangered and,with no recentsightings, are most likely extinct.

20 BIRDS OF THE WORLD


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or

to

Penguins

p E NGUI N s have some paradoxical relationships with people.With their:nique shape, black and white coloring, and the adoption of their image into:opular culture, penguins are among the most widely recognizable types ofrirds, along with ducks, parrots, pigeons, and some others. However, theyrre relatively rarely seen in the wild; close encounters are usually limited:o zoos. This is because penguins'natural home is the remote cooler waters.rt the southern oceans.The majority of species breed in Antarctic or sub--\ntarctic regions-areas unpopulated or only lightly visited by humans.-\nother powerful penguin paradox is that we know them best for their landictivities,theiroft-photographed densebreedingcolonies and their awkwardrsaddling walk. But the majoriry of the penguins'lives are spent at sea; they.;.re superbly graceful, streamlined swimming and diving ocean animals,essentially "flying"underwater, behavior that is increasingly appreciated byreople atzoos and aquariums equipped with glass-walled penguin tanks.The onlylocation people regularly encounter penguins face to face in the sea:. in the Galipagos Islands,where fortunate tourists, entering the equatorialPacific to snorkel or dive, are sometimes approached by the small, inquisitiveGaldpagos Penguin, the world's northernmost species.

The seventeen penguin species (family Spheniscidae) are restricted to theSouthern Hemisphere.The largest species, the Emperor, stands 3 feet (r m):ell; the smallest, the Little, only 16 inches (4o cm). All are flightless and use:heir highly modified wings (flippers) for propulsion underwater.These wingsere unique in that, unlike in other birds, the bones are fused together and thervings cannot be folded. Penguin feet are placed far back on the body, and

D itl ri h tr tionArtturtlic, SoulhtrttHLn i;lhtrtNo ot'I-i''ittgSlttias't7No of'Sp,:cir:shr/rt arahl,:,Enrlongeretl: 7,.1No. oJ'Speci cs Ex t i tt t tSirtc,: t6oo.' o

PENGUINS 2I


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their toes are webbed.The feet are used for steering and braking underwaterand for clambering up steep and slippery slopes when going ashore. Penguinsare well adapted to cold, having short overlapping feathers (that actuallylook more like large scales than proper feathers) for waterproofing, a I ayer ofdown, and beneath the skin, a thick layer of insulating fat.Most species are highly social, great numbers of individuals foragingtogether at sea and breeding in colonies (a few, such as the Little Penguin,often feed alone).They eat fish, squid, and crustaceans (often shrimplikekrill),which are captured in their strong, sharp bills after underwater pursuit.Their mouths are lined with rear-facing spines that help them hold ontoand swallow slippery,wigglingprey. Some large species in the Antarctic candive to depths of nearly 9oo feet (r7S ^) and stay under for almost twentyminutes; smaller penguins stay under for briefer periods and dive only toabout zoo feet (6o m). Larger marine predators such as KillerWhales andLeopard Seals include penguins in their diets. Penguins are monogamous;they nest in burrows or natural cavities such as holes under rocks; two species,King and Emperor Penguins, make no nest.

Some penguins receive more attention than others because they aresometimes encountered bv or, indeed, marketed to, tourists and bird-watchers.These include the Galdpagos Penguin; the Jackass Penguin, endemic to thecoast of southern Africa and named for its strange braving call; New Zealand'sendemic Yellow-eyed Penguin; the four Antarctic species (Adelie, E,mperor,Chinstrap, and Gentoo),larger penguins whose breeding colonies are oftendestinations for nature tours; and the Little Penguin, endemic to Australia andNew Zealand, mainly because of the famous "Penguin Parade" on southeastAustralia's Phillip Island, a daily event in which tourists line up to watch thepenguins emerge from the ocean and waddle to their nearby burrows.Many penguins are secure, with several species, including Magellanic,Macaroni, Royal, Chinstrap, Rockhopper, King, and Adelie Penguins, havingtotal populations of more than a million individuals. However, seven speciesare considered rulnerable owing to declining or already small populations.Three others are endangered, due to highly restricted ranges and, for two ofthem, tiny populations: the Erect-crested Penguin, which breeds only ontwo small islands offNew Zealand; the Yellow-eyed Penguin,which breedsonly over small areas of New Zealand and has a population of fewer thanfive thousand; and the Galfpagos Penguin, which is down to between fwothousand and five thousand individuals.

BIRDS OF THE WORLD


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s,

IIUIIBOLDT PENCUI^.-SphLniseut buntboldti:5 -5 z7 5 in (65-7o cm)South Arner'Lca (CIrile, Peru)

INI}I

LTTTLE PE^-CUINEud.yptula ninor155-175in(4o 45cm)Ausrrrlia. Nerv Zeahnd

SOCKHOPPER PENGUINI ) t,l.y,ptes chry otome:: ;-:.1 5 in (S;-62 crn). ut]rcrn ocearts

i}]I\5TRAP PENGUINI ).t lc s ; e I s a n ta rct i o:-- 1o 5 in (0S-77 crn)\nt,rrtic rnd South Arlanric

ADELIE PENGUINPlgottelis adeliat:8 in (7r cm)r\n rarctica

YELLO!V-EYED PEN_GUINMegddyptet anti?ode\26-lo in (66-76 cm)Nerv Zealand

jACKASS PENCUIT-Sphenirus denertutz7 5 in (7o cm)Sorrrhern Africa

ETIPEROR PENCUIN,4p te n o tly t e sJb rs t ar i,+,1 ,15 5 in (rrz-rr-5 cm)Antarcrica


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NON-BRDRED IHROATED LOONGatin sn'llataz5 in (64 crn)North Arreric,r ELrr asi,L

PACIF]C I-OONCatio 2acifi,a26 iD (66 cilr)n"orrh Arne r ica, Asirr

COIIN]ON LOONCni,ia intnetlz in (8r crn)North Aroeric,t, Europe


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Loons (Divers)

L o o N s, considered by many bird enthusiasts to be the earth's most beautifulwaterbirds, are divers specialized for a life spent foraging underwater.Theirelegant black and white patterned plumage makes them a favorite subject ofwildlife artists and photographers. But loons are best known for inhabitingwaters of the far north and for their loud,long, haunting vocalizationsgiven during breeding seasons, often at night, from otherwise quiet lakesof northern New England, northern Minnesota, Canada, and Alaska.Thefive loon species, called divers in Europe, comprise family Gaviidae (placedin its own order, Gaviiformes). They breed across the northern reaches ofEurasia and North America and winter as far south as the temperate watersoffMexico, Florida, Spain, and China.

Large and heavily built,loons range in length from zt to 36 inches (53to 9r cm) and weigh up to 13 pounds (6 kg).Although bulky, their bodiesare streamlined, facilitating speedy swimming.They have thick necks,long,sharply pointed bills, relatively small wings, short tails, and short legs.Theirfeet are modified for underwater propulsion, set far back on the body and withwebbed toes. AII have dark bills (except the Yellow-billed Loon) and reddisheyes.They have bright, contrasting breeding plumage and dull, brown to blacknonbreeding plumage. Like many animals that pursue prey underwater, theyare countershaded, dark above and light below.With light coming fromabove, the back of a countershaded animal is illuminated and the undersideshadowed, causing them to blend in with the water, thus rendering themharder for prey to detect. Being specialized for living on and under the water

Di';tribution:North temptratc tndArc/ic regionsNo o.l'LitingSpctic.r:5No ol'SperiasVu / nerabla,Endan,qered: o, oNo of Speciat ExtinctSi ncc r6oo: o

LooNS (orvens) 25


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makes life in the terrestrial world difficult for loons. Because of the structureof their legs and feet, they essentiallv cannot walk; thev move about on land,when necessary,by messily hopping and flopping about. (The word loon maycome from an old Scandinavian word meaning "clumsy.")Loons spend much of theiryear on saltwater, mostly in coastal areas andbays,where the surface remains unfrozen in winter; theybreed on freshwater.Loons are amazingly fast and accomplished underwater swimmers, wherethey pursue and capture fast-moving fish. Most fish are captured 5 to 30feet (z to ro m) down. Loons disappear below the surface with a thrust oftheir powerful feet and typically reappear far away.When in deeper water,they typicallyjump into the air at the beginning of a dive, to provide addedmomentum.In addition to fish, they sometimes eat crustaceans, mollusks,frogs, and even occasionally some plant material. Small fish are swallowedunderwater; larger ones and spiny ones are brought to the surface to bedisabled and positioned advantageously prior to swallowing. Outside thebreeding season, loons gather to feed and roost in flocks ofhundreds oreven thousands. They are strong fliers. Sometimes they nest on fishlesslakes, so parents must make continual flights to other lakes to find food forthemselves and their young.

Loons are monogamous and usually pair for life. Mates may remaintogether during winter or, if separated, typically reunite for the next breedingseason when they encounter one another at their breeding lake. Theyhave elaborate courtship behaviors, pairs displaying in flight and movingsynchronously on or under the water. Nests are piles of aquatic vegetationon the water or at its edge. Pairs share in nest building, egg incubation, andfeeding young,which are provisioned until they are able to fly.These largebirds consume a lot of fish; one estimate is that a rypical pair and their twochicks consume about a ton (9oo kg) of fish during the r5-week breedingseason. Eventually the young follow the adults in migration from breedinglakes to the ocean.

None of the loons are currently considered at risk. However, wildlifeconservationists worry about them because their preferred habitat of remote,little-disturbed northern lakes is likely to be reduced in the future, as peoplepenetrate ever deeper into wilderness regions. Loons are also very susceptibleto water pollution. Large numbers ofYellow-billed Loons, for instance, werekilled duringAlaska's 1989 Eto


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Grebes

G R E B E s are among the most frustrating birds to watch: no sooner do you::-r them in your sight than they dive under water, only to pop up again somejlstance away.These graceful, slender-necked, fully aquatic diving birds are- :ien mistaken for ducks, but are actually members of a different familyPodicipedidae), one onlyverydistantlyrelated.The nineteen grebe species

-e distributed nearly globally,with most in the NewWorld.They are 9 to 29: rches (4 to 74 cm) long and built to dive and swim well underwater. They:--:.r-e compact, streamlined bodies, short wings,very little tail, legs placed well:rck on theirbodies, and lobed toes thatprovide propulsion underwater. Bills-e usually sharp-pointed, not ducklike. Grebes in nonbreeding plumage are:e nerally drab-looking, dull brown, gray,or blackish above, whitish below.\ I anv are brighter during breeding season, and some at this time have small:,r1or patches on the head. Some species have crests or conspicuous fan-. raped spreads of feathers, often white or yellow, behind the eye. Male and-male grebes look alike or nearly so.Grebes are probably known best for their foraging behavior, called:ir-e-hunting.They dive from surfaces of lakes, rivers, and coastal seawatet-.rcating and then pursuing their prey, including fish,frogs, and crustaceans,:nderwater.Th.y are speedy swimmers, required for chasing fast-moving::shes. (But being so specialized for fast underwater movement has itsirarvbacks: because ofthe structure oftheir legs and feet, grebes cannot',r'elk; when washed ashore, they can only hop and flop their way back into:he rvater.) In a rypical dive a grebe disappears below the surface with a

Distribution:WorldutiltNo. ofLtuingSpecies: r9No. of Srccicshtlnerabla,Endangarcd: z, rNo. of S2uie.r ExtinttSince 16oo: z orj

GREBES 27


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WHITE-TUETDD GREBEPodieps chilentis9 5-r4in (24 36 cm)Sourh Anrerica

HORNED GREBEPoditel>t auritusr: r5 in (3r-3E crn)North Arnerica. Eurasia

EARED GREBEPodieps nigriollisrr-13 5 in (28 34 cm)Norrh Arnerica, Eurtrsia, Africr

GREAT CRES]'ED GREBEPodire2s tiiatut18 zj 5 ir (46 6o cm)Eurasia, Afiica, Australia

PIED.BIL]-ED CREBEPodilynbus loditelsrz-r5 Ln (3o 38 cm)Norrh Arnerica, Sorrth Arnerica

WESl'ERN CREBElechmophcrut ouiden taliszo-29 in (5r 74 cLn)Norrh America

HOARY-HEADED GREBEPol oce4 b al u s 2oliorel hal utru in (3o crn)Australia, New Zealand

AUSTRALASIAN GREBETa fi 1 bap tus norae h o/ landiae9 -ro 5 in (:3 z7 crn)Aus rralasia, Indoncsi a


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:hrust of its powerful feet and then reappears some distance away,perhapsu-ith a fish held crosswise in its bill.In a bout of foraging, a grebe will makemany consecutive dives, usually staying below the surface each time for lessrhan a minute (typically ro to 4o seconds), often remaining on the surfacebe tween dives for as little as ro seconds. Most dives are to depths of 3 to rzteet (r to 3.5 m). Some grebes, such as the Western Grebe, use their sharplypointed bills to spear prey; fish found in the stomachs ofthese grebes usuallyhave a hole through the middle. Grebes occasionally also take prey from theu-ater's surface, including insects and their larvae, mollusks and crustaceans;.ome plant materials may also be consumed. Grebes swallow some of theiro*,n feathers, an adaptation to deal with a fish diet. The feathers apparentlyprotect the stomach from sharp fish bones until the bones are sufficientlydigested to pass through the rest of the gut. Some grebes also have beentbund to have small pebbles in their stomachs, which they may swallow toassist the stomach's food-grinding action.

Other than during nesting, grebes tend to spend most of their time alone.They breed on freshwater, usually still water areas with plentiful emergentr-egetation. But they spend much of the year on saltwater, where feedingconditions are better and the surface remains unfrozen inwinter. Relativelyu'eak flyers, most take to the air infrequently, but some species, those athigher latitudes, are migratory. During migrations and in wintering areas,some grebes become more social, forming into focks.

Grebes are monogamous and usually nest solitarily. After sometimesspectacular courtship displays (mutual swimming, diving, and thrashingabout in the water) a pair builds a foating nest of soggy plant stems thattbrm a platform; if the water level changes, the nest rides with it. Eggs arecovered by a parent with nest material whenever the nest is left unattended.\bung are able to swim soon after they hatch, but parents help feed andprotect them.

Most grebe species have large,widespread populations and are secure;they are not heavily hunted, perhaps because their flesh has an unpleasanttaste. Two are considered r,'ulnerable, the Madagascar Grebe and NewZealand Dabchick; one is critically endangered, Peru's Junin FlightlessGrebe.Three species became extinct in the twentieth century: the ColombianGrebe,last seen inry77; Guatemala's Atitlan Grebe,last seen in the r98os;and Madagascar's Alaotra (Rusty) Grebe,last seen in r982.

GREBES 29


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;-niT #WAVED ALBAl'ROSSDioncdea irrorata33 5-36 5 in (85-qj cnr)Peci6c rvarers ofl northero Sourh Anrcrica

B I.AC K- FOOl' ED A t-BA1' ROSSDiomcdn nigriptrz7-u 9 in ((r8 74 cnr)Norrhern Prcific

S IIORT.]';\ ILE D AI.BA I RoSSDiomedu tlbatrut3j-;7in (lt4-94crrr)Northern ])rcilic

\1'AN I)ER] NC ALBA f ROSSDiott.Llca cntlanr.12-;j in (ro;-rj5 cor)Soutlrern Occrn

BI,ACK BRO\\ ED ALBATROSSD i o tt tl ea nt t h n oph r.v s12 5 t6 j in (tl3 9; crrr)Sorrthcrn Oce.rl

I ICHT N]ANTLEI) ALBAIROSSPha.l)ett i a Pi /P?bnt /n1r in (;9 cnr)SoLLthern Oceao

BL]I-LER S LBATRO55Dionulea bulltri3o-1: in (;6 8r crn)Sourlrern Occ,ur (Pecitic sicle)


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Albatrosscs

Lords of the ocean skies and the globe's largest seabirds, a r B AT R o s s E sare among the world's most respected birds. Sailors have long veneratedthese huge soaring birds (historically because they believed albatrossescontained the souls of lost comrades), and many cultures frown on killingthem, perhaps in awe of their ar.rrazirrg flight capabilities. Albatrossesare included in the seabird order Procellariiformes along with the other"rubenosed seabirds," the shearwaters, petrels, and storm-petrels. A11 leada pelagic existence; except for island nesting, they spend their entire lives atsea. (Most stay far from continents, so seeing them requires an ocean cruiseor a visit to remote islands.)They are called tube-nosed because their nostrilsemerge through tubes on the top or sides of their distinctly hooked upperbil1s (see p.33). FamilyDiomedeidae contains the fourteen albatross species,distributed over the world's southern oceans and the northern Pacific.Theyare large, heal,y birds with very longwings and long, hear.ybills.The largest isthe Wandering Albatross, about 3.5 feet (r.r m) long,with a wingspan to rr.5teet Q.5 m).Most albatrosses have pale orwhitish heads andunderparts butdark tails and wing-tops;faces can be gray,white, oryellowish.Two speciesare mainly a chocolate brown color.

Albatrosses feed, either solitarily or in small groups, and often at night,on fish, squid, and other invertebrates (crabs, krill) near the surface. Largerspecies sit on the water and seize prey in their bills; smaller, more agilespecies also seize prey from the surface while flying. Flying involves a tyPeof nonflapping flight known as dynamic soaring,which takes advantage of

Distrihution:Southern oceans,nortbern PacificNo. of LitingSpeties: r4No. of SpeciesVulnerahle,Endungered: B, rNo oJ'Specier ExtinctSince 16oo: o

ALBATROSSES 3r


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strong winds blowing across the ocean's surface. This efficient but peculiarflight takes them in huge loops from high above the ocean,where the windis fastest, down toward the surface,where friction slows the wind, and thenup into the faster wind again to give them lift for the next loop-a kindof roller-coaster flight that requires virtually no wing flapping. Albatrosswings are so long and narrow that these birds literally need wind to helpthem fly, and on absolutely calm days (which,luckily, are rare on the openocean) they must wait out windless hours sitting on the sea's surface.To takeflight in windy conditions they need only spread theirwings, and the windprovides sufficient lift to make them airborne. But in lowwinds, they mustface into the wind (like an airplane taking off) and make a takeoffrun; atisland breeding colonies, often there are actual runways, long, clear pathson the islands'windier sides, usually on slopes, alongwhich they make theirdownhill takeoff runs. Albatrosses are nicknamed "gooney birds"becausethey are awkrarard on land and often make untidy takeoffs and landings.

Monogamous breeders, most albatrosses apparently mate for life. Ontheir remote breeding islands they engage in elaborate courtship dances inwhich male and female face each other, flick their wings, bounce their headsup and down, and clack their bills together. Nests are scrapes on the bareground sometimes surrounded byvegetation and pebbles. Male and femalealternately incubate eggs and brood young.The other adult flies out to sea,sometimes for days, and searches for food. When it returns, it feeds thechick regurgitated fish, squid, and stomach oil. When the chick's demandfor food becomes overwhelming, both adults leave it for long periods as theysearch vast areas of ocean for enough food. A nestling albatross, at times,can actually weigh more than its parents. They take 5 to 7 years to mature,staying at sea during this period before finally returning to their birthplaceto breed. Many do not breed until they are Z to 9 years old; some live morethan 4o years.

Because they cannot become airborne readily from land, albatrosses areeasy victims for humans and introduced predators. During the r8oos andearly rgoos they were widely killed for their feathers, and entire breedingcolonies were destroyed. Currently eight species are considered mlnerable,and one, the Amsterdam Albatross, is endangered;it has a population ofonly about one hundred and breeds on a single Indian Ocean island.

32 BrRDS OF THE WORLD


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Pctrels andShearwaters

The seventy-two species of pBrRpLs and sHEARwATERS comprise amajor group of seabirds, but one largely unknown, unseen, and unappreciatedexcept by sailors and bird fanciers. The family, Procellariidae, is included inthe tube-nosed seabird order, Procellariiformes, which also encompassesalbatrosses and storm-petrels, and has a woddwide oceanic distribution. A11species are found in marine habitats, and they spend their entire lives at seaexcept for short periods ofnesting on islands. They are called "tube-nosed"seabirds because their nostrils emerge through tubes on the top or sides oftheir distinctly hooked upper bills. Like many seabirds, they have a largegland between and above their eyes that permits them to drink seawater; itfilters salt from the water and concentrates it.This highly concentrated saltsolution is excreted in drops from the base of the bill and the nostril tubesthen direct the salt drops to the end of the bill,where they drop off.

Petrels comprise alarge group of mid- to large-size seabirds with longwings and hooked bills. Shearwaters, small to midsize, are very similarto petrels, but their bills are longer and thinner, and have smaller hooks.Lengths range from ro to39 inches (z5to 99 cm);wingspans canbe up to 6.5feet (z m). Both groups, along with other tubenoses, are usually dark aboveand lighter below, although some are alldark or all light; coloring is limitedto black, brown, gray, and white.

Petrels and shearwaters are often excellent flyers, some using dynamicsoaring (see p.3r) like albatrosses, some alternating flapping flight withgliding. The y feed atsea by day or night on squid, fi sh, and crustaceans. S ome

Distrihution'A// orcansNo. ol'LittingSpuier: 7zNo ol'Spetitrl/ulntroblt,f)nltngeted. zo, rrNo of Specics ExtinttSi ntt t6oo: o

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS 33


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(

NORTHERx- FULItARI'ulmaru glarialis17 5 19 5 Ln (45 -5o cm)Northern Paci6c, Arctic waters

PlN'tADO PETRELDd?t;an cn?en\:15 5 in (4o cm)Sourhero Occan

FORM

SOOl'Y SHEAR\\'ATERPuJfinus griscus15 5 :o in (,1o 5r cm)C)ceirns worldwicle

ANTARCT]C PE]'REL7h i1nJ s oica dn tdr. I itdr5 ; 16 in (4o -.16 cm)Antrrrcrica waters

BROAD-BILLED PRIONParh.y?tild ritataro-rz in (z; jo crn)Nerv Zealand. SourherD Atlantic

NEWELL S SHEi\RWATERPtffinut ncuellir4 in (35 cn)Hrrvrii

SNOW PETRELPagodrofrM nirea12-r7 5 in (3o ,1,1cm)Artrrcfica $,aters

SOt]THERN GIANT PETRELMatroner16 gif,dntL,uJ3.1-39 in (86 99 cnL)Sorrrhern Ocern

(.,:,


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pluck prey from the surface of the sea using their wings to hover. Petrelsand shearwaters are sometimes solitary, but some species occur in small tolarge flocks; some Short-tailed Shearwater flocks, for instance, number inthe millions. Petrels and shearwaters are ocean wanderers, often travelinghuge distances; some, for example, breed in the Australian region, and thenrvander to the northern Pacific.

One of the bird world's more curious spectacles-birds using takeoffrunways-occurs daily during shearwater breeding seasons on smallislands, such as some of those offAustralia's east coast. Here, Short-tailedand Wedge-tailed Shearwaters nest.The birds (locally called muttonbirdsbecause dense breeding colonies in the past provided large amounts ofhuman food in the form ofthe birds'chicks) feed at sea during the day,landon the islands toward evening, then waddle to their nest burrows to spendthe night.Atdawn,theywaddle to the island's edge (usuallyawindier shore),mill about in a crowd on a dune above the water, then one by one run downthe slope of the dune toward the water, spread their wings, and fly. Giventheir long, narrow wings, they usually need the takeoffrun, like an airplane,to create enough lift to become airborne. Observing shearwater runwaylaunches is a special treat to bird-watchers who visit breeding colonies; thebirds generally ignore quiet human spectators.

Petrels and shearwaters breed monogamously, usually in large, densecolonies, often but not always on small oceanic islands. Some nest in theopen,with nests simply small depressions in the ground,but most nest eitherin a burrow they dig themselves or take over, or in a natural caviry such asrock cavities in cliffs.The burrow or cavity is reused each year by the samepair. Both parents incubate the single egg and feed and brood the chick.These birds probably live an average ofr5 to zo years.

Some species ofpetrels and shearwaters are incrediblynumerous, and theSooty Shearwater has been nominated as the world's most abundant bird.But because of their often highly restricted nesting sites on small islandsand vulnerability during the nesting period, many species in the group are atrisk; twenty are considered l,ulnerable, another eleven, some with extremelysmall populations, endangered.The Hawaiian Petrel,sometimes considereda subspecies of Dark-rumped Petrel, breeds only in Hawaii; in the past itsnests were regtlarly raided by introduced rats, cats, and mongooses, and it isnow endangered.

PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS 35


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\VHI'IE VENTED S1'ORM PETRELOteanites gratilit6 5 in (16 crn)Pacific u,aters offSoulh America

!VEDGE-R(] \IPED 51'ORN]-PETRELOteano,h onn trthyE in (zo cm)Pacific witers oft Sourh Ailcrica

PERUVIAN-D]VINC PETRELPelecanoiltr garnotii8-9 5 in (:o z4 crr)Prcific rvaters o]fnorrherl Sotrth America

FORK TA] LED STORNI-PETRELOceanodronuJiu otl8 5 in (:z cm)Northern Prcific

Co!111O^.. DIVING PETRELPelecanoiies uri natrit8 ro in (zo-25 cm)Sorrthcrrr ()r:crn

BLACK STORXI-PETRELOtednoironta me/ania9 in (23 cm)Prcilic rvaters of[Norttr nnc] SoLrrlr Arner ica

BLACK.BELLIED S]'ORNI-PETREL!regettu trtPiid8 jr (zo cm)South Athotic, South Pacific, Southern Ocean

\YHITE-FACED STORI{ PETRELPelagodroma ntarinaE in (zo cm)Atllntic rnd ILrdian Ocears, Sourhern Paci6c


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Storm-pctrcls;Diving-petrels

sroRM-pETRr,rs and DIVING-pETRELS are the smallest members of thetube-nosed seabird order, Procellariiformes,which also includes albatrosses,shearwaters, and petrels. AII in the order are found only in marine habitats,and they spend most oftheir lives at sea.They are called tube-nosed becausetheir nostrils emerge through tubes on the top or sides oftheir hooked upperbills (see p.33).Twenry species of storm-petrels, with a worldwide oceanicdistribution, comprise family Hydrobatidae.These small seabirds, only5 toro inches ft3to z5 cm) long, have proportionately shorterwings and longerlegs than the closely related petrels and shearwaters. Like other tubenoses,they are often dark above and lighter below,with colors limited to black,brown, gray, and white.Although storm-petrels are widespread and often quite abundant,relativelylittle is known about them.The paradox stems from the difficultyofstudying small birds that spend their lives at sea, usually approaching land onlyto nest on islands. Further, they typically have less contact with people thanother seabirds, even following fishing boats much less than do other groups.A consequence of the relative lack of interaction between people and storm-petrels is that a certain mystery surrounds these birds; seafarers in several partsofthe world even consider touching a storm-petrel to be bad luck.Highly agile in the aiq storm-petrels fly low and erratically over the seasurface, almost like swallows; they settle on the water only occasionally.They are perhaps best known for their feeding behavior, which occurs byday or night. With their small mouths they take mainly tiny planktonic

STORM-PDTRELSDistrihution:A/l oceanrNo. oJ'LivingSpeties zoNo. of SpaciesVulnerable,Endangcrcd: t, oNo. oJ'S2ecies ExtinttSince r6oo: t

sToRM-PETRELS; DrvrNG-PETRELS 37


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I)irt rihtrtionSr, tt 1 /lc t tt o, ttt tt t,

ur t i rt /.y', i ri tr nt lo/l tt\o of Lit.:irtpSpttitr INo ,tl S?,'tits

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Sitttt r(tc',o-rL

crustaceans, but also squid and small fish. Although occasionally makingshallow dives from the air, the classic storm-petrel feeding method is topluck prey from the surface of the sea while using their wings to flutter andhover,with their legs dangling, just above the water. Some species actuallypatter their feet along the water's surface, the tiny splashes or the act ofdragging their feet in the water perhaps aiding their feeding in some way.To people, the pattering often makes it look like the birds are trying to walkon the water, and this may point to the origin of the wordp etre/'. the Greekword ?etras and the tr'rench word peterelle refer to the biblical disciple Peteqwho tried to walkonwater. Storm-petrels, alongwith other tubenoses,haveperhaps the best developed sense of smell of any birds (probably related tothe long tubular nostrils).Theyuse this ability to locate nest sites and youngwhen returning from extended foraging trips and probably use it to locatesome types offood.

Storm-petrels are hole- or burrow-nesters that breed monogamouslyin colonies of a few dozenpairs to tens of thousands.The burrow or cavityis reused each year by the same pair. To reduce predation by day-activepredators such as gulls, skuas, and raptors, adults ofall but one species visitbreeding colonies only at night.The single chick is fed a partially digestedpaste of small fish and crustaceans, eventually growing to outweigh itsparents. One night,when it is 7 to rr weeks old, it leaves the nest burrow,fliesout to sea, and probably does not return to land for z to 4 years, when firstready to breed.

Because of their often restricted nesting sites on small islands andr,ulnerability to predators during nesting, some storm-petrels are at risk.One, the Polynesian Storm-petrel, with a small population, is consideredr,n-rlnerable. Mexico's Guadalupe Storm-petrel, owing mainly to predationby feral cats on its nesting island, recently became extinct.

DI vI NG- P E T R E t-s, familv Pelecanoididae, are four species of small,stocky, tube-nosed seabirds that use theirwings like paddles, penguinlike, tofeed on planktonic crustaceans underwater.Th"y have a pouch under theirtongues in which they store food to eat later or to bring back to their youngat the nest. Diving-petrels occur over the southern oceans. One species,the Peruvian Diving-petrel, which breeds on four small islands off SouthAmerica's western coast, is endangered.

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Tinpicbirds;F'rigatebirds

TRopICBIRos (family Phaethontidae, with three species) andF RIGATEBIRDs (familyFregatidae,five species) are members of orderPelecaniformes, along with pelicans, boobies, and cormorants; both haver ainJv tropical ocean distributions.topicbirds, considered among the most.:riking and attractive of tropical seabirds, are midsize white or white and:lack birds with t'wo very long, thin tail feathers, called streamers, which:rovide the birds an unmistakable flight silhouette. A pair of tropicbirdsengaged in their spectacular aerial courtship display, tail streamers tracingl:cs in the sky, is an unforgettable sight.Tiopicbirds have long, narrowwings,',-en' short legs unsuited for walking on land (they spend most of their time in:re air or on the sea), and webbed feet. They range from z8 to 59 inches long-o to ro5 cm; about half ofwhich is tail streamer) and have wingspans of:bout 3.3 feet (r m). Frigatebirds are very large soaring birds (28 to 45 inches,-o to rr4 cm,long), black or black and white, with huge pointed wings that:ran up to 6.5 feet (z m) and long forked tails. Males have large red throat:ouches that they inflate, balloonlike, during courtship displays.

Tropicbirds are often seen flying alone or in pairs over the ocean or:ear shore, or inland circling in valleys and canyons.They eat fish, squid,"nd crustaceans,which they obtain by flying high over the water, spotting:ood, hovering a bit, then plunging into the water to catch the meal.They:rrelv feed within sight of land, preferring the open ocean.They travel farind rvide on oceanic winds; for instance, individuals banded in Hawaii have'reen spotted at sea 5,ooo miles (8,ooo km) away.Tiopicbirds do alight on

'i,i,',,)n",i,'")"'l'ropica/ ocunsNo. af LivingSTtcics; jNo. of SpcricsVn lnerab/c,Enlangered: oNo. oJ- Sp e c i u l.) xt i n c tSittre 16oo: o

TROPICBIRDS; FRIGATEBIRDS 39


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RED-H] t,LEI) IROPICts] RDP/:tr/hor att/:,rtnl; i-.tr S i[ (9o ]oi.rrr)I'roprcrl ocerrs

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t-L:\:ER I {lGll LilllRt):S ;: nr ( r lt errr)1 r,rl,icaJ T',reiiir.rnJ In.lian ()ccans: S,rLrtlr,\tl,rntrc

CRE\] FR](;J1'EB]RI)ll ) +r ; in (Si lo;.rr))Trrl.rc,rl ocerrrr


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:he sea surface, but not often; most of their time at sea is spent looking forrrer; flying 3o to 65 feet (ro to zo m) above the water.Frigatebirds are often seen along tropical seacoasts, especially around:rshing boats, from which they may learn to take scraps.They feed on the',r-ing, sometimes soaring effortlessly for hours at a time.They swoop low to;atch fish that leap from the water and to pluck squid and jellyfish from the.,-aves. They drink by flying low over the water's surface and sticking theirl,-rng bill into the water. Although their lives are tied to the sea, frigatebirds..]nnot swim and rarely,if eveq enter the water voluntarily;with their very-trng, riarrow wings, they have difficulty lifting off. To rest, they land on:errrote islands, itself a problematic act in the high winds that are common:r these places.

Large and beautiful, frigatebirds are a treat to watch as they glide silently:.1ong coastal areas, but they have some patterns of behavior that among:umans would be indictable offenses. Frigatebirds practice kleptoparasitism::her'"parasitize"other seabirds, such as boobies, frequentlychasing them in:he air until they drop recently caught fish. The frigatebird then steals the::.h, catching it in midair as it falls. Frigatebirds are also known as Man-o'-'.r.rr birds,both names referring to warships, and to the birds'Z leptoparasitisn;:rev also steal nesting materials from other birds, furthering their image as,'.'ian pirates.

Frigatebirds and tropicbirds, like other pelican relatives, usuallybreed in-.rge colonies on small oceanic islands.Tiopicbirds breed on cliffs or ledges;::iqatebirds, in trees or shrubs. Both nest on bare ground ifpreferred sites are..ravailable, and both are monogamous, mated males and females sharing::. nest building, incubation, and feeding young. Frigatebirds exhibit some- : the longest-duration parental care among seabirds, with some parents-:e ding theiryoung at the breeding colonyfor 15 to r8 months.These seabirds::rch sexual maturity slowly (7 or more years in frigatebirds) and live long:','es (zo years or more in frigatebirds).Tropicbirds and some frigatebirds are abundant, but two of the::iqatebirds are in jeopardy:the Christmas Island Frigatebird, critically- rJangered, with a total population of about three thousand, breeds only- r part of a single tiny island located between Indonesia and Australia; and::.e Ascension Frigatebird, considered vulnerable,likewise breeds solely on. re tiny island.

l)is trihution:Tro1>icaloccanrNo o[LiringSpaties:5No o.fSpatiesVu/nerab/e,Dndangared: t, tNo. oJ'Slerit; Dxtinrt5'inte 16oo: o

TROPICBIRDS; FRIGATEBIRDS 4I


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from the lower mandible, and the upper mandible acts as a lid. Capturedfish are quickly swallowed because the water in the sac with the fish usuallyweighs enough to prohibit the bird's lifting offfrom the water. Often, groupsof swimming pelicans cooperate in herding fish, trapping them betweenbirds, and then lunging. Brown Pelicans, common in the United States, arethe only ones that also plunge from the air, sometimes from a considerablealtitude (to 65 feet fzo m]) to dive for meals. Although pelicans eat fishalmost exclusively, some crustaceans are also taken.

Pelicans eat a lot, in some species up to ro percent of their body weightper day; older nestling pelicans take fish up to r.3 pounds (6oo g) in weight.As a necessary result of such intake, pelicans produce a lot of droppings,or guano, which accumulates at some traditional breeding colonies intohuge deposits. Guano, rich in phosphates, is a valuable fertilizer and hasbeen long mined in various parts of the world. The Peruvian Pelican, aclose relative of the Brown Pelican that is limited to Peru and Chile, is oneof a triumvirate of famed "guano birds" (along with the Peruvian Boobyand Guanay Cormorant). Over the centuries, these birds laid down thickreserves of guano on their small breeding islands, reserves that supported avery profitable guano industry.

Pelicans usually breed in large colonies on small islands or in places onthe mainland that have few mammal predators. Nests are on the ground orin trees or bushes. Monogamy is the rule, mated males and females sharingin nest building, incubation, and feeding the young; at least in some species,a new mate is found each year. Pelicans lay up to five eggs, but often only oneyoung surviyes to fledging. Typical life span in the wild is probably ry to 25years; in captiviry some pelicans live more than 50 years.Some fishermen view pelicans as competitors for small fish, and theselarge birds are sometimes persecuted for this reason. North America'spelicans (Brown and American White Pelicans), however, feed mostly onfish not associated with commercial fishing, such as carp, chub, and silverside.The onlythreatened species is the Spot-billed Pelican oflndia and SoutheastAsia, which, with a recently reduced range and relatively small population,is considered vulnerable.The Brown Pelican was listed by the United Statesas an endangered species over parts of its range, but it is still common inmany areas.

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Boobies andGannets

B o o B I E s are large seabirds known for their sprawling, densely packedbreeding colonies and their spectacular plunges from heights into the oceanto pursue fish.The three largest species are called cANNe rs and somepeople use this name for all in the group.The term booby apparently arosebecause the nesting and roosting birds seemed so bold and fearless towardpeople, which was considered stupid. Actually, these birds bred on isolatedislands and cliffs, which meant they had few terrestrial predators, so hadnever developed, or had lost, fear responses to large land mammals, such aspeople.

The boobies, family Sulidae (nine species with worldwide oceanicdistribution),arc part of the order Pelecaniformes, along with pelicans,cormorants, frigatebirds, and tropicbirds.Th.y are large seabirds withtapered, torpedo-shaped bodies; long pointed wings; long tails;long,straight, pointed bills; and often, brightly colored feet. In fact, these birds,mostlywhite and black, are famous for their spots ofbright body coloring.Gannets, mostly southern temperate-water birds, are very similar to boobiesbut have shorter tails.

Boobies plunge-dive from the air (from heights ofup to roo feet [:o rn]or more) to catch fish underwater; they also eat squid. Sometimes they divequite deep (to more then 5o feet [r5 m]), and they often take fish unawaresfrom below, as they rise toward the surface. Some boobies and gannetstbllow fishing trawlers, catching fish brought up by nets. Unlike most otherbirds, boobies do not have holes or nostrils at the base of the upper bill for

Distribution:All oceansNo. ofLiuingSpecies: 9No. of SpeciesVulnerable,Endangered: r, rNo. of Species ExlinctSince t6oo: o

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e"r/?XIAS KDD tsOOBSil/n LlLtrlIldlrn3:-36 in (8r 9z crn)1'r opical occans

BRO\\'\.. BOOBYSu/a /,'ur ogtttoz5-:9 in (64-:4 cnr)1'ropicrl oceans

B]-UE-fOO I DD BOOBYSuh ntbotrxii1o 13 in (76 34 crr)1-r ol,ical Pacilic oiI North a nd Sou rlr A mcr icr

RDD-EOO I LD tsOOB\2ar lo ) iir (66 ;7 crL)TropiceJ oceans


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breathing; the holes are closed over to keep seawater from rushing intotheir lungs as theyplunge-dive. Some boobies,in addition to plunge-diving,also surface-dive occasionally to chase fish underwater and are sometimesspotted foraging on foot in shallowwater.Boobies and gannets tend to breed in large or medium-size colonies onsmall islands where there are no mammal predators or in isolated mainlandareas that are relatively free of predators. Some nest on cliffs or in trees orother vegetation, but most do so on the ground. Nests in a densely packedcolony c

Collins Birds of the World

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