Download Seabirds

Seabirds – At Flight Over & In the
Ocean
 Birds are vertebrates in class Aves. They share several
characteristics.
 Feathers, unique to this class.
 Forelimbs that are wings.
 A four-chambered heart.
 Lay internally fertilized eggs.
Characteristics of Birds
 Marine birds are important to the marine Ecosystem:
 They are predators that consume fish, crustaceans, &
mollusks.
 In turn they are prey to marine mammals & sharks.
 They supply guano – a significant source of nutrients,
specially organic nitrogen important to sea life.
Characteristics of Birds
 Many species of birds exhibit related adaptations to an aquatic
life:
 Webbed feet for swimming & floating on the surface.
 Bill adaptations suited to catching their marine prey.
 The cormorant flies over water, & dives in pursuit of prey.
 Birds, like the albatross, have wings & flight characteristics
adapted to long-duration flying over wide expanses of
water.
Special Attributes of Penguins
 All penguins live in the Southern hemisphere.
 Penguins make up about 80% of all Antarctic birds & by far
outnumber even the massive marine mammal populations.
 Not all species live in cold places. Penguins are found on the
coasts of South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, & the
nutrient-rich waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands near the
equator.
 They cannot fly, but they are as at home underwater as other birds
are in the air. They spend as much as 75% of their time under water
searching for food.