Shorebirds vs. Seabirds & Bird Species
Download 1.79 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Other Names Texas Status US Status
- Numenius americanus)
B
 Other Names Texas Status US Status
Brown Pelican Endangered Endangered, Listed 10/13/1970 Description The brown pelican has an 18-inch long bill and large throat pouch. Its head is white in front and dark brown behind, extending down the neck and back. During the breeding season, the white plumage turns a vibrant yellowish-gold color. Silver-gray feathers cover the rest of the pelican's body. The brown pelican weighs about 9 pounds and has a 6-foot wingspan. Life History When feeding, pelicans soar in the air looking for fish near the surface of the water. It feeds by plunge-diving. When a fish is spotted, the pelican goes into a dive, plunging 30 to 60 feet bill-first into the water. The impact of hitting the water would kill an ordinary bird, but the pelican is equipped with air sacs just beneath the skin to cushion the blow. The loose skin on the underside of the bill extends to form a scoop net with an amazing capacity of 2.5 gallons. The pelican drains the water from its pouch and tosses its head back to swallow the fish. Their diet consists of menhaden and mullet fish. They lay 2 to 4 white eggs during breeding season, and live up to 30 years or more. Young pelicans are fed for about 9 weeks. During this time, each nestling will eat about 150 pounds of fish. Other
Pelicans almost disappeared from Texas because they were poisoned by the pesticide DDT, which caused them to lay thin-shelled eggs which broke during incubation. Because they were not able to produce young, the number of pelicans dropped to less than 100 birds during the years 1967-1974. Since DDT was banned in 1972, pelicans have made a steady comeback. L 
ong-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Description The long-billed curlew reaches a height of 18 to 26 inches (45 to 66 cm), with a 36- to 40-inch (91 to 101 cm) wingspan. They have speckled brown and buff backs and upper wings, buff colored bellies and breasts, and cinnamon-colored under wings. Their legs and feet are bluish-gray, and the feet have webbed front toes. The long, thin, down-curved bill is dark and fades to a flesh tone at the base. Its bill can be more than 8 inches (20 cm) long and has a droplet-shaped tip. Life History When inland, long-billed curlews eat mostly insects and worms. In coastal areas, they probe in the mud with their long bills for shellfish, crabs, and fish. They will also eat other nesting birds. Predators hawks, badgers, coyotes, weasels, and snakes feed on long-billed curlews. Nests are built on the ground in flat, open areas with clumps of grass. The nests are simple depressions in the ground, usually lined with grass. Curlews frequently build nests near cow patties or bushes to help hide the nests from predators. Long-billed curlews can swim if they need to - their front toes are webbed. They can fly as fast as 50 miles (80 km) per hour. Directory: cms -> lib2 -> tx01001414 -> centricity -> moduleinstance -> 18755 moduleinstance -> Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 militiamen on April 15, 1861, he and just about everyone else in the North expected a swift war lasting about 90 days moduleinstance -> What is a Tectonic Plate? 18755 -> - moduleinstance -> Geography of the Ocean and the Structure of Planet Water 18755 -> Sandy Beach Reptiles moduleinstance -> Accelerated Reader Test List Report Download 1.79 Mb. Share with your friends:
|
