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