Marine and Coastal Birds
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Marine and Coastal Birds
description
Marine and Coastal Birds. External Anatomy of a Bird. Beak Crown Iris Pupil Mantle Lesser Coverts Scapulars Coverts (Feathers) Tertials Rump Tail Feathers Vent Thigh Knee Tarsus Feet Tibia Belly Flanks Breast Throat Wattle. Birds are in the phylum Chordata Class Aves - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Marine and Coastal Birds
Marine and Coastal Birds
External Anatomy of a Bird
1. Beak2. Crown3. Iris4. Pupil5. Mantle6. Lesser Coverts7. Scapulars8. Coverts (Feathers)9. Tertials10. Rump11. Tail Feathers12. Vent13. Thigh14. Knee15. Tarsus16. Feet17. Tibia18. Belly19. Flanks20. Breast21. Throat22. Wattle
Birds are in the phylum Chordata Class Aves
– Hollow Bones– Feathers– Wings– Lay eggs– Endothermic (warm-blooded)
Marine Birds
Waterproof feathers– Oil gland secretes oil– Use beaks to move it around their bodies
Webbed Feet Nest on land in often secluded
areas
Types of Marine Birds Tubenoses Salt gland
to excrete excess salt ingested
Curved tip on beak good for surface fishing
Albatross
Tubenoses continued
Tubenoses have extreme migrations Mate for life
Wingspans up to 3.5 m!
Penguins
Streamlined, hard beak (better for diving)
Use wings to dive and pursue food
Denser bones to help with diving
Often mate for life Bad eye sight on
land
Penguins continued…
Penguins live in cold regions
They have an extra layer of fat to help keep them warm
They sometimes live near the equator, but those areas get cold water currents
Pelicans
Pelicans have a pouch on bill that can hold water when they catch prey
DDT caused a near extinction ofbrown pelicans in the 70s
Brown pelicansare found onthe TX GulfCoast
Cormorant
Black birds that dive for prey Low fliers and low floaters
Frigates
Bird Pirates– Attack birds in air and make them regurgitate their
food– Don’t enter water
often because they aren’t very waterproof
Long forked tail
Gulls
Scavengers (trash birds)– They eat anything
Shorebirds in Texas
Often have long legs for wading
Roseate Spoonbills– Eat crustaceans– Live along the gulf
of Mexico– Red shoulder patch– Spoon shaped bill
Herons
Long legs for wading Eat crustaceans
Long billed Curlew Use bill to get worms, fish,
crabs out of mud
Whooping Cranes
Tallest bird in NorthAmerica
Can only see blackwing feathers whilein flight
Migrate to Texas from November to March (breed in Canada)
Whooping Crane Migration
