some penguins will spend several years at sea befor

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Marine Birds
Phylum Chordates Subphylum Vertebrata Class
Aves Groups based on habitat Shorebirds Divi
ng Birds Pelagic Birds Penguins
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• Marine Birds
• They are endothermic- meaning they are warm
  blooded- they maintain a constant body
  temperature of 100 112 F (also referred to
  as homeothermic)
• They are capable of traveling long distances,
  though not all types of marine birds migrate
• Birds that are adapted to flight must be
  aerodynamic so bones are hollow but are
  strengthened to form a rigid frame
• They have a series of air sacs which makes
  breathing more efficient
• They have a high rate of metabolism so food can
  be processed quickly
• Front appendages or wings are adapted for flight
• Bones in the wing of a bird are similar to that
  of mammals with the exception that wrist and
  finger bones are fused to increase strength
• Feathers are made of Keratin- the same material
  as our hair and nails
• Keratin is a tough protein that is light weight
  and gives feathers strength
• Birds have two types of feathers
• 1) Down Feathers are short and fluffy and
  provide insulation
• 2) Contour Feathers- sit over the down feathers
  and provide shape and a smooth outer surface to
  the bird
• a) Flight feathers and Tail feathers are
  special contour feathers
• The wing creates an airfoil shape, curved on top
  and flat on the bottom, so air needs to move
  faster over the top part of the wing ? the
  faster air movement reduces air pressure over
  the wing that allows the bird to get lift.
• The tail acts as a rudder or stabilizer in flight
  and helps in braking during landing
• Birds are streamlined to reduce heat loss and
  reduce friction while moving through the air or
  water
• The bill or beak is shaped to match feeding
  patterns and is a thick horn-like material

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Metacarpals Phalanges
Radius Ulna
Humerus
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Seabirds are streamlined to reduce friction while
moving through the air or water and to reduce
heat loss ? The shape decreases the amount of
surface body area that is exposed to the colder
ocean water Some birds have very dense feathers
or a layer of blubber to protect them from heat
loss Special blood circulation to appendages
helps control heat loss when in contact with
colder water temperatures? arteries are
surrounded by veins so the warmer blood in the
arteries is protected by the veins carrying blood
with a lower temperature. Some of the marine
birds have a special gland near their tail that
produces a waterproof oil ? the birds will use
their beak to spread this oil through their
feathers as they groom or preen themselves All
birds lay eggs that have a hard calcium rich
shell ? often both parents will be involved in
raising the young Like reptiles, birds have
special nasal glands to excrete excess salt. The
kidneys concentrate wastes to uric acid so the
bird can conserve water.
Countercurrent circulation
Vein
Artery
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Shorebirds- search for food in shallow water on
in the sand along the waters edge -
sandpipers, gulls, herons, oystercatchers,
egrets - will migrate to warmer climates
- live in small colonies, usually near a body of
water - those with long straight bills
will use them for poking in the sand for small
invertebrates - a flexible neck allows herons
egrets to quickly grab small fish - gulls
are scavengers but they will also grab clams and
drop them from the air to open up the shell
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Diving Shorebirds- these birds will dive in the
water in search of food but will live close
to the shore - when they spot
food in the water, they will fold
up their wings and dive into the water
- cormorants, terns, pelicans, osprey,
skimmers Pelicans- have a large throat pouch
that is used to scoop up fish? water is
squeezed out and the fish swallowed head first to
prevent being stuck by any dorsal spines
- they have a cushion of tissue filled with air
over their breast and lower neck to protect
them when they are diving - Brown Pelicans
- immature pelicans are brown all over with
brown eyes - mature at 3-4 years of age and
the neck becomes velvet brown in color during
the summer and white during the winter
the eyes turn blue - they make nests on the
ground or in trees - White Pelicans
- are white all year round, males have a bump on
the upper beak when it is mating season
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Pelagic Birds -they are seabirds that nest on
islands and along the coastline but spend most
of their lives at sea - these open ocean birds
include storm petrels, gannets, puffins,
shearwaters and albatross - they come ashore
to rest - these birds are also known as
tubenose birds because their nostrils extend
in short tubes over the beak - they will
migrate tens of thousands of miles each year
following schools of fish or drifting plankton
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Penguins - they are closely related to the
tubenose birds - they are the most aquatic of
all the sea birds - most of the species of
penguins live in the southern hemisphere - they
have no flight feathers and do not fly - they
are excellent swimmers and divers - the flippers
are used to propel the bird through the water -
they have dense bones unlike other birds which
are necessary to give them the weight for
diving - penguins eat fish, krill, squid and
some shellfish - some penguins will spend
several years at sea before returning to land -
they have a thick layer of fat under the skin and
densely packed down feathers -Magellanic,
Humboldt, Galapagos, Blackfoot Penguins are the
only species that are found in temperate and
tropical climates
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ADAPTIVE FEATURES OF MARINE (AQUATIC) BIRDS
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Gull Short hooked bill for grabbing, Eats a
variety of fish plus eggs, garbage
Puffin Short wide bill for eating small fish and
zooplankton, some birds have a rough or spiked
tongue to hold fish
Seen with sandpipers
Black Skimmer Lower bill is longer than upper,
they skim the surface of the water to catch fish
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Sea Turtle Identifications
                                                 
                                      
                                  
                                                1.
Kemp's Ridley  2. Hawksbill  3. Loggerhead  4.
Green  5. Leatherback