Shorebirds vs. Seabirds & Bird Species
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Description Roseate spoonbills grow to a height of 32 inches (81 cm), with an average wingspan of 50 inches (127 cm). Their distinguishing characteristics include their pink body and legs, white neck and breast. pale green bald head, spoon-shaped bill, and bright red shoulder patch. Life History Roseate spoonbills eat primarily small fish and crustaceans. Raccoons and coyotes eat roseate spoonbill eggs and young. Their life span is as long as ten years. Unlike most birds, roseate spoonbills are silent and often solitary when they feed. They swish their spoon-shaped bills back and forth in the water to find small invertebrates, fish and crustaceans. Spoonbills eat shrimp, shrimp eat algae, and the algae make their own red and yellow pigments, called carotenoids. Some scientists believe that the pink coloration that roseate spoonbills acquire as they mature is due to their diet of carotenoid-rich organisms like shrimp. The more they eat, the pinker they get. Flamingos are close relatives of the roseate spoonbill. They both have pink feathers, but the flamingos are much larger, with a longer neck. Other
Like many other bird species with beautiful plumage, roseate spoonbills were nearly hunted to extinction during the 1800s. Their striking pink feathers were popular on women's hats, and hunters from all over the United States competed for spoonbill plumes. In the early 1900s, roseate spoonbills began to re-colonize areas along the Gulf Coast and slowly increase in number. Today, threats to roseate spoonbill populations come as a result of habitat loss. O 
sprey An osprey is a fish-eating hawk that has one of the widest distributions of any bird of prey. If feeds entirely on fish, plunging from heights of up to 165 ft and entering the water fee-first. Its wings are strong, its legs are heavily muscled, and its toes have long, hooked talons and spiny soles- an adaptation that gives it a firm grip on its slippery prey. These birds have been known to take prey that approaches their own weight. They nest in the tops of high trees and hatch a single brood of two to three chick each year. During the 20th centru, ospreys sufferend severely as a result of the DDT pesticide. Their population has now recovered. In areas such as Florida, osprey are highly protected. Any structure containing an osprey nest cannot be torn down or disturbed, including trees in the way of construction. 
Cormorant Cormorants are equally at home in both fresh and salt water. They can be found across a vst part of the world. Its plumage looks jet black. It fishes by pursuit diving, and its feathers are partly waterproof. After feeding, it rests with its wings spread apart to dry. They can often be seen floating in the surf with their long necks curled outward in search of prey. W 
andering Albatross This seabird has the largest recorded wingspan of any bird, at up to 11 ½ ft. There are other species of albatross found in different parts of the world, but this species stays along the southern oceans, where it feeds mainly on squid. It snatches its food from the surface of the water, and is capable of remaining airborne for weeks at a time. It frequently follows ships, soaring over the waves on its stiff, outstretched wings. The wandering albatross takes up to 11 years to mature, and during that time it becomes all white except for black markings on the tips and trailing edges of its wings. They typically nest on remote islands, breeding in alternate years. 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:
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