Class: Aves Marine Birds Characteristics Depend on the ocean for survival Lightweight bones Return to land to breed. Endothermic = create their own body.

Class: Aves

Marine Birds

Characteristics

• Depend on the ocean for survival• Lightweight bones• Return to land to breed.• Endothermic = create their own body heat• 3 Types of feathers:• 1- Down = small, fluffy, closest to skin, for

warmth.• 2- Contour = larger, cover wings and body, for

flight.• 3- Powder = Repel water, protect the down

• http://www.birds.cornell.edu/–Online Bird Guide

Bird Orders• Class Aves broken into 29 orders• All orders end in –iformes–Ex. Pelecaniformes- Pelicans

(totipalmate swimmers)–Ex. Passeriformes- Songbirds

Diving Pelagic Birds

• Open-ocean birds, spend most of their lives at sea

• Puffins, petrels, shearwaters, albatross• Migrate thousands of km each year

• Large nostrils located in short tubes on sides/top of bill• Spend most of life at sea • Come to land only to breed• Wandering Albatross-Largest

wingspan of all living birds (nearly 12 feet)

Wandering Albatross

WanderingAlbatrosschick

Shearwater

Penguins• Can dive down 800 meters

for food• Flightless, marine, pelagic,

swimming and diving birds• The Emperor Penguin is the

largest @ 4ft, 75lb

Penguins

• The most aquatic of all marine birds• 15 species (all are in the Southern Hemisphere)• No contour feather (can’t fly)• Thick layer of fat and dense down feathers• Excellent swimmers/divers• Eyes adapted for underwater vision• Both males and females take care of watching

the egg and chicks

Emperor Penguins

Adelie Penguins

Babies

Rockhopper Penguin

King Penguins

Penguin

Totipalmate Swimmers• All 4 toes are webbed• Pelicans, Gannets, Cormorants&

Frigatebirds• Some breathe through their

mouth (nasal openings are closed)

American White Pelican

Blue-footedBooby

Long-legged Waders• Herons, Egrets, Ibises,

Spoonbills, Storks & Vultures• Herons & Egrets have S

shaped neck in flight

Herons & Herons & Egrets Egrets have S shaped have S shaped neck in flightneck in flight

• Storks hold neck extended in flight

• Bird populations decreased because of plume hunters (1902-1903)• Fashionable for women to

wear feathers in their hats• 4 birds=1 ounce ($32/oz)

• 1,608 packages of plumes in a commercial sales room in 1902• Each package weighed 30 oz

totaling 48,240 oz• Required the lives of 192,960

herons

Flamingos• Pink plumage due to

carotenoids obtained from food, cyanobacteria•Most unusual feature is the

bent bill held upside down to feed

• At one time occurred naturally in the state of Florida•Nest made on a cone shaped

pedestal of mud• Young swim day of hatching

Flamingo

Marsh birds• Crane, Coots & Moorhens• Losing more species of birds

than any major order of birds• The Whooping Crane is the

tallest American bird

Whooping Crane &chick

Sandhill Crane-Morecommonly seen

Roseate Spoonbill

Shorebirds•Much diversity–Divers, skimmers, waders–Lakes, coastal waters,

beaches, meadows

Shorebirds• Sandpiper – narrow, pointed bill• Snowy egret – long, flexible neck• Roseate Spoonbill• Sea ducks• Sea Gull - scavengers

American Avocet

Diurnal Birds of Prey• Hawks, Eagles, Kites & Ospreys• Have short, decurved hooked

beaks• Excellent eyesight• Feed on birds, mammals, fish or

reptiles

Osprey

Kingfishers• Large heads with spearlike

bills• Dive straight into water for

fish

Belted Kingfisher

Perching Birds• All the Songbirds• Ex. Cardinals, Jays, Wrens,

Warblers, etc.• Includes Loggerhead Shrike &

Florida Scrub Jay

Feather Anatomy

What is preening?

• Definition: Preening is the process by which birds groom and care for their feathers. When a bird is preening, she uses her beak to pick through her feathers -- removing any debris, arranging feathers that are out of place, and distributing a special oil that is secreted from a gland at the base of the tail. This oil helps a bird's feathers stay healthy and shiny.