Page 393 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

BIRDS 391
ORDER PELECANIFORMES
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
1
LENGTH 4–5 / 4 ft
(1.2–1.6 m)
3
WEIGHT 7 / 4 –10 lb
(3.5–4.5 kg)
HABITAT Coastal waters,
estuaries, islands
DISTRIBUTION Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North
and South America, Galápagos Islands
Commonly seen inshore and in
harbors, the brown pelican is the
heaviest sea bird that fishes by
plunge-diving. Groups of birds often
fish together, skimming over the waves
before rising into the air, folding back
their wings, and hitting the water with
a spectacular splash. The pelican’s
throat pouch balloons outward
underwater, scooping
up prey, which
it then
swallows at
the surface.
ORDER PELECANIFORMES sometimes diving into water less than
3 ft (1 m) deep. They nest in small
Blue-footed Booby colonies on offshore islands, laying
their eggs on the ground.
Sula nebouxii
LENGTH 30–33 in
(76–84 cm)
1
1
WEIGHT 2 / 4 –4 / 2 lb
(1.5–2 kg) streaked
HABITAT Inshore waters,
rocky coasts, islands plumage
DISTRIBUTION Pacific coast of Central America,
Galápagos Islands
This is one of six species of boobies—
a group of plunge-diving birds, closely
related to gannets, that often have
brightly colored feet. The blue-footed
booby is brown with white under-
sides. Its feet are grayish brown in
juveniles but brilliant turquoise-blue
in adults. Blue-footed boobies often
feed in flocks, hitting the water almost
simultaneously when they locate a
shoal of fish. Smaller than gannets,
they are able to fish closer inshore,
ORDER PELECANIFORMES to mature, gradually losing their brown
plumage. During that time, they roam
Northern Gannet far over the ocean before returning to
their native colony to breed.
Morus bassanus
LENGTH 34–39 in
(87–100 cm)
1
WEIGHT 6 / 4 –7 lb
(2.8–3.2 kg)
HABITAT Open sea,rocky
coasts, offshore islands
DISTRIBUTION Eastern and western coasts of
north Atlantic
This highly streamlined bird with its
gleaming white body and black-tipped
wings is the most striking plunge-diver
in the north Atlantic. Northern gannets
roam the seas with a distinctive pattern
of flapping and gliding flight, attacking
shoals of fish by diving from heights of
up to 100 ft (30 m). They breed in
crowded colonies on rocky islands
and clifftops, laying a single egg
each year. Juveniles take five years
ORDER PELECANIFORMES
PLUNGE-DIVING
Brown Booby
Gannets and boobies all show
adaptations for a plunge-diving
Sula leucogaster
LENGTH 25–30 in lifestyle: forward-facing eyes,
(64–76 cm) streamlined heads and bills;
1
WEIGHT 1 / 2 –3 / 4 lb and nostrils with no external
1
(0.7–1.5 kg) openings. Their wings fold back
HABITAT Inshore waters, along the body just before the
rocky coasts, islands moment of impact, and the force
DISTRIBUTION Tropical oceans worldwide, except is absorbed by air sacs under
southeastern Pacific their skin.
This booby is a superb diver. It is AERIAL ATTACK
the most widespread booby and has This sequence of
distinct color variations. Most brown photos shows how
boobies are brown all over, apart from the wings fold
a white underside. However, birds during a dive.
from the eastern Pacific have white
heads and their bills are gray rather
than the typical bright yellow. They
all live in the same way, diving for fish
and squid from heights of up to
100 ft (30 m). They also skim low
over the surface, looking for flying
fish, which they catch in midair. They
often fly in front of ships, watching
for fish caught up in the bow-waves,
and they like to fish close to land,
roosting on buoys or coastal
trees. Despite their agility in
the air, they are clumsy at
takeoff and landing.
pale,
head
distinctive OCEAN LIFE
blue
webbed
feet