Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term water bird is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems , although others make no distinction from seabirds that inhabit marine environments .
Almost all species are associated with water; they are essentially non-swimming waterbirds that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and the sea. They are predominantly found in lowland areas, although some species live in alpine areas, and the majority of species occur in the tropics. [8]
Many of these do not ever land in the water, and some, such as the frigatebirds, have difficulty getting airborne again should they do so. [31] Another seabird family that does not land while feeding is the skimmer , which has a unique fishing method: flying along the surface with the lower mandible in the water—this shuts automatically when ...
Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots are called covers [3] or rafts. [2] The oldest known coot lived to be 22 years old. [2] The American coot is a migratory bird that occupies most of North America.
The pesticide interfered with the bird's calcium metabolism which resulted in thin-shelled, easily broken or infertile eggs. [34] Possibly because of the banning of DDT in many countries in the early 1970s, together with reduced persecution, the osprey, as well as other affected bird of prey species, have made significant recoveries. [41]
These birds create whirlpools by spinning in small, rapid circles. Then they feed on the small insects and crustaceans that rise to the surface. Gender roles are also somewhat unusual within this ...
Loons can live as long as 30 years and can hold their breath for as long as 90 seconds while underwater. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Loons are migratory birds, and in the winter months they move from their northern freshwater lake nesting habitats to southern marine coastlines.
A mute swan landing on water. Due to the size and weight of most swans, large areas of open land or water are required to successfully take off and land. Swans are the largest extant members of the waterfowl family Anatidae and are among the largest flying birds.