Bar-tailed Godwits: migration & survival

 The Bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wader. The migration of its subspecies Limosa lapponica baueri across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to New Zealand is the longest known non-stop flight of any bird, and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal. The round-trip migration for this subspecies is over 29,000 km (18,020 mi).

Appearance

The Bar-tailed godwit is a relatively short-legged species of godwit. The adult has blue-grey legs and a long, tapering, slightly upturned bi-colored bill: pink at the base and black towards the tip. The neck, breast, and belly are unbroken brick red in breeding plumage, and dark brown above. Females’ breeding plumage is much duller than males, with a chestnut to cinnamon belly. Breeding plumage is not fully apparent until the third year, and there are three distinguishable age classes; during their first migration north immature males are noticeably paler in colour than more mature males. Non-breeding birds seen in the Southern Hemisphere are plain grey-brown with darker feather centres, giving them a striped look, and are whitish underneath. Juveniles are similar to non-breeding adults but more buff overall with streaked plumages on flanks and breast.

Distribution

Geography

Bar-tailed godwits breed in Scandinavia, northern Asia, and Alaska and migrate to coastal East and South Asia, Australia, Africa, northwestern Europe, and New Zealand. Their breeding grounds include open tundra, mudflats, marshy and swampy areas, river valleys, lakes, and bogs. The winter habitats are usually located along muddy coastlines, estuaries, shallow bays and lagoons.

Habits and Lifestyle

Bar-tailed godwits are social but extremely wary birds. They congregate in flocks but when feeding during the day they may disperse individually or in small groups. Bar-tailed godwits forage by probing in mudflats or marshes using their long sensitive bills. They may also find insects by sight in short vegetation. When birds are alarmed they produce high-pitched “kik” or “kiv-ik”. During courtship displays and on nesting grounds their calls sound as “a-wik, a-wik, a-wik” and a “ku-wew, ku-wew”.

Diet and Nutrition

Bar-tailed godwits are carnivores and eat mainly insects, crustaceans, and mollusks. They may also feed on parts of aquatic plants, seeds, and berries occasionally.

Mating Habits

Bar-tailed godwits are monogamous which means that one male mates with only one female. They breed between May and June performing courtship displays in which the male circles high above the nest site and calls loudly. The nest is a shallow cup in moss sometimes lined with vegetation. The female lays 2 to 4 which are incubated about 20-22 days. Both parents share incubation of the eggs and care for the young. The chicks are precocial (fully-developed; they hatch with their eyes open and are able to follow their parents to nearby marshy areas to find their own food. The young fledge and become independent from their parents when they are 1 month old reach reproductive maturity at 2 years of age.

Population

Population threats

Major threats to Bar-tailed godwits include habitat loss due to residential and commercial development, expansion of the agriculture and mining, climate change and serve weather as well as hunting in some areas of their range. They also suffer from pollution, human disturbance, and outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Ostrich Fact Sheet

 Ostrich: the largest and heaviest living bird.

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Aves
Order: | Struthioniformes
Family: | Struthiondae
Genus: | Struthio

There are two living species of ostrich: the common ostrich (Struthio camelus) and the Somali ostrich (Struthio molybdophanes).

Size and Weight:

The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird. Males are typically larger than females, weighing 220 to 287 pounds and measuring 6.9 to 9 feet in height. Meanwhile, females weigh 198 to 242 pounds and range in height from 5.7 to 6.2 feet.

Appearance:

Ostriches are the largest and heaviest birds in the world. Given their weight, they are flightless and cannot fly into the sky. Instead, ostriches are great runners and are able to reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour. One stride can be 10 to 16 feet long. They have long, strong legs with two clawed toes, allowing them to reach these high speeds.

An ostrich has a long neck, prominent eyes and sweeping eyelashes. Ostriches have the largest eye of any land animal. An ostrich’s eye is nearly 2 inches across. Their long neck and excellent vision help them see great distances, allowing them to keep an eye out for predators.

Ostriches have unique feathers that are loose, soft, and smooth, giving them a “shaggy” look. Adult male ostriches are black with white wings and tail feathers, while immature birds and adult females have brownish-gray feathers.

Diet:

Ostriches are omnivores. Their diet varies depending on the food available in their habitat. They primarily eat plants, but also eat insects, snakes, lizards and rodents. They are able to consume things that other animals can’t digest because they have tough intestines to absorb as many nutrients as possible. Ostriches also swallow sand, pebbles, and small stones that help grind up food in the gizzard. Since they eat a lot of plants, ostriches do not need to drink water. However, they may drink water at a water hole.

Habitat:

Ostrich habitats include savannas and desert regions.

Geography:

Ostriches are native to Africa.

Breeding:

Ostrich courtship is ritualized and synchronized. A male used his black-and-white coloring to attract a female. He will sink to the ground like a bow and then wave and shake the feathers of first one wing and then the other while moving his tail up and down. After this movement, he gets up and moves toward the female, holding his wings out and stamping as he goes to impress her. If she approves, she mates with him.

The dominant hen mates with the territorial male, and they share the tasks of incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks. The territorial male is polygamous and may mate with other females. The other females may also mate with wandering males. The other females then lay their eggs in the same nest as the dominant hen’s eggs. The nest is a shallow depression scratched in the dirt by the male. The dominant hen makes sure her eggs are closest to the center, and therefore most likely to hatch successfully. A communal nest allows more eggs to successfully hatch overall for the flock. A female ostrich lays 7 to 10 eggs at a time. Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs, weighing about 3 pounds, measuring 6 inches in length and measuring 5 inches across. Only dinosaurs produced larger eggs.

The incubation period is about 42 to 46 days. When they hatch, the chicks are about the size of barnyard chickens, but they grow at a rate of 1 foot per month. Chicks will start to leave the nest with their parents a few days after hatching. By four months, they start to show their adult plumage and by six months, they are about the size of their parents. Ostriches reach sexual maturity around three or four years old, which is when males grow their black-and-white feathers.

Social Structure:

Ostriches live in groups, which helps with defense. They are typically found in flocks of about 10 birds or just a male and female pair but sometimes gather in large flocks of 100 or more. These groups have a pecking order with a dominant male, a dominant female called the “main hen” and several other females. The dominant male establishes and defends their territory. Lone males may also come and go during the breeding season.

Lifespan:

In the wild, ostriches live 30 to 40 years. But in captivity, ostriches have been known to live until their 70.

Threats:

Ostriches have several natural predators, including cheetahs, lions, leopards, hunting dogs and spotted hyenas. Other predators, like Egyptian vultures and jackals, may take ostrich eggs. When an ostrich senses danger and cannot run away from the threat, it will flop to the ground and remain still with its head and neck flat on the ground, so it blends in with the ground. When an adult ostrich is threatened, it attacks with a ​clawed foot that delivers a kick powerful enough to kill a lion.

Humans pose other major threats to ostrich populations and their habitats. As human populations grow and expand, ostriches are losing their habitat. Ostrich feathers have long been popular in fashion. In the 18th century, ostrich feathers were so popular in fashion, particularly in the hat industry, ostrich populations declined. Ostrich farming helped the population recover and still continues on a smaller scale. Ostriches are farmed and hunted for feathers, skin, meat, eggs, and fat.

Conservation Status:

The common ostrich is listed as “Least Concern” according to the IUCN’s Red List. Meanwhile, the Somali ostrich is listed as “Vulnerable.”

Conservation Efforts:

Strict protection and farming are needed to conserve the remaining ostrich populations. Conservation groups and government agencies work to protect these populations. For example, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park works with the red-necked ostrich in Niger and provides technical expertise and funding to develop and manage a breeding program for the birds. This helps to establish secure and self-sustaining populations in that country. The African Wildlife Foundation helps to conserve ostrich populations by working with local communities to decide on an appropriate plan to bring tourism to the area.

Striated caracara

 Name: Striated Carcara, Johnny Rook, Caracara Austral, Matamico Estriado, Matamico Grande, Tiuque Cordillerano Austral. (Phalcoboenus australis)

Length: 60 cm.

Weight: 1.2 kg

Location: Falklands, Tierra del Fuego.

Conservation status: Near Threatened.

Diet: Carrion, offal, food scraps, insects, worms, lambs, small seabirds, eggs and young of larger seabirds.

Appearance: Eagle-like, dark brown plumage, grey-yellow legs and talons. White tips around neck, back of head, and tips of tail feathers. Yellow patches around bottom of eye and rear of beak. Hooked grey bill.

How do Striated Caracaras feed?

Striated Caracaras are opportunistic – they’ll feed on almost anything they can. They’ll eat the young and eggs of seabirds, and hunt smaller seabirds in their burrows or on the wing.

They will investigate human refuse for food and will eat offal. They will scavenge carcasses.

They’re also known for overturning rocks for food which is a sign of higher intelligence in birds – it’s a form of adaptation and problem-solving.

Are Striated Caracaras social?

Striated Caracaras may hunt together in flocks numbering up to 50 individuals.

How fast do Striated Caracaras move?

Striated Caracaras are fast fliers and can reach speeds in excess of 60 km per hour.

What are Striated Caracara birthing rituals like?

Striated Caracaras build their nests on the ground or on cliff edges. The nests are built of twigs and vegetation, which is thin lined with wool or grass. The breeding season occurs from December through the end of February. The female lays up to four eggs. Incubation takes about a month.

The births are timed to coincide with the birthing season of prey seabirds. This gives the parents easy access to food for their young, and for the young themselves once they leave the nest.

The juveniles’ coverage is brown at first and will take up to 5 years to reach its adult colouring.

How long do Striated Caracaras live?

It’s not known how long Striated Caracaras live in the wild but those raised in captivity can live more than 30 years.

How many Striated Caracaras are there today?

There are approximately 500 breeding pairs of Striated Caracaras found in the Falklands. Overall there may be up to 2500 mature individuals, or up to 4,000 individuals in total.

Do Striated Caracaras have any natural predators?

Striated Caracaras do not have any significant natural predators. The biggest threat they have faced is from sheep farmers who began an intensive effort to exterminate them from the Falklands in 1908. Thankfully this decision was reversed in the 1920s, though the population has still not fully recovered to its former levels.7 Superb Striated Caracara Facts

They are known to steal red objects like hats of gloves. This might be because the red colouring makes them think the object is meat.

Striated Caracaras were once intensively hunted in the Falklands because they were such a menace to the local sheep farmers. However they are now protected by law and cannot be killed without permission from the Falklands government.

Striated Caracaras have the southernmost distribution of birds of prey in the world.

Striated Caracaras are quite curious and show little fear of humans. Charles Darwin first found that he could catch them with just a hand-net. This curiosity might actually serve an evolutionary trait – it helps them discover new ways to find sources of food.

Striated Caracaras are the largest of the genus Phalcoboenus.

Striated Caracaras are only found on islands where there are also populations of seals or seabirds.

Striated Caracaras are one of the world’s rarest forms of raptor.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

 The oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca), also known as the black-backed kingfisher, is a tiny bird only slightly bigger than a hummingbird. They live in southeast Asia, where they inhabit evergreen and deciduous forests near streams and ponds. They stay low to the ground, where they perch and wait for prey to come close before darting out and snatching their meal. Learn everything there is to know about the oriental kingfisher, including where they live, what they eat, and how they behave. 

5 Amazing Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Facts

• They build their nests in underground tunnels that lead to an inclined egg chamber.
• This kingfisher species has three toes!
• Their population is decreasing from ongoing habitat destruction.
• The oriental dwarf is one of the smallest kingfishers.
• They migrate at night in large flocks.

Where to Find the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

Oriental dwarf kingfishers live in Asia in 15 countries, such as China, India, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. Most populations are sedentary in their environments, but others in the northernmost region of their range migrate south for the winter. They inhabit forest and wetland habitats but are most commonly found in evergreen and deciduous forests. They like to live near forest streams and ponds with plenty of canopy shade. However, they keep their nests far away from water. Look for them low to the ground, where they perch and fly out to catch prey.

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Nest

They build their nests in stream banks or soil near the roots of a fallen tree. Both sexes dig a tunnel leading to an unlined egg chamber, which they build at an incline to help with drainage from water and waste.

Scientific Name

The oriental dwarf kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca) belongs to the Coraciiformes order in the Alcedinidae family, which encompasses the kingfishers primarily found in Africa and Asia. The Ceyx genus includes the river kingfishers from southeast Asia. There are three recognized subspecies of oriental dwarf kingfisher: C. e. Erithaca, C. e. Macrocarus, and C. e. motleyi.

Size, Appearance, & Behavior

The oriental kingfisher is a pocket-sized bird and one of the smallest kingfisher species. It measures four to six inches long and weighs 0.4 to 0.7 ounces, with an unknown wingspan. Males and females are similar in size and feature the same coloring: lilac crowns, rumps, and tails, dark blue and black wings, white chins and throats, yellow-orange underparts, red legs, feet, and bills, and black forehead spots. This kingfisher species has three toes and is sometimes referred to as the “three-toed kingfisher.”

This bird is mainly solitary, preferring to forage and perch alone. However, they form monogamous pairs during breeding, and some may join large flocks during migration. Their vocalizations include loud, high-pitched shrills and softer calls when in flight. And these little birds are swift and agile when hunting prey, but their exact speed is unknown. 

Migration Pattern and Timing

These kingfishers are residents throughout most of their range. But the northernmost populations in Bangladesh and Myanmar will migrate south for the winter in Malaysia. They travel at night in large flocks from August to December.

Diet

The oriental dwarf kingfisher is a carnivore who forages alone on a low perch.

What Does the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher Eat?

Their diet consists of mantises, grasshoppers, mayflies, winged ants, water beetles, and flies. They also eat spiders, worms, crabs, lizards, frogs, and small fish. This bird is a solitary hunter that forages from a post in low vegetation, flying out to capture its prey. They may also catch insects midflight, snatch spiders from their web, and pluck fish just below the water’s surface. They take larger creatures back to their perch, striking them with their beaks before consuming them.

Predators, Threats, and Conservation Status

The IUCN lists the oriental dwarf kingfisher as LC or “least concern.” Due to its extensive range, this species does not meet the “threatened” status thresholds. Their population is decreasing but not rapidly enough to meet vulnerable levels. Clearing of their forest habitat is their biggest threat, and their decrease is likely to continue from human activity. Their other hazards include pollution, hunting, electrocution from power lines, collision, exhaustion, and starvation.

alcedo atthis

Geographic Range

Alcedo atthis is found throughout Europe and Asia as far east as Japan. They are also found in Africa, south of the Sahara. Common kingfishers are year long residents in their southern habitats, while northern populations travel south during the winter to escape freezing water. Alcedo atthis is the only species of kingfisher in much of its European range.

Habitat

Common kingfishers are found on the shores of lakes, ponds, streams, and in wetlands. They have even been known to fish in brackish waters, especially during the winter months, when other bodies of water may be frozen.

Physical Description

Common kingfishers are renowned for their iridescent blue plumage. The entire upper portion of the bird: wings, back, and head are completely blue. The underbelly and a small patch underneath the eyes are rich chestnut. The throat and a small part of the side of the neck is bright white. They have small red feet. Their beaks are long, sharp and strong for the purpose of catching and holding prey. Males and females are very similar except for their beaks. A male’s beak is jet black, while the lower half of a female’s beak is chestnut. Juvenile’s are slightly more green and duller than adults.

Reproduction

Mating is the only time that Alcedo atthis individuals are not solitary. At the beginning of the mating season, males will chase females through the trees, producing a loud whistle. Common kingfishers will find a new mate each year. Mating only occurs in the warmer months of the year, starting in April and ending sometimes as late as October.

Mating Systemmonogamous

In about mid-March nesting begins. The male and female work together to dig a hole into a bank along a water source. Common kingfishers prefer steep banks. The holes are of various depths and are dug into various types of soil. Usually a hole between 15 and 30 cm long is dug, but on occasion some as deep as 1.2 meters have been discovered. They may nest in clay, rock, or sandy ground. Nests also vary in the distance they are above the water, with the distance varying from 0.5 to 37 meters above the water level.

Both parents will raise and feed the young. However, the female will do most of the work. Common kingfishers will brood 2 to 3 clutches a year. These clutches consist usually of 6 or 7 eggs, but there may be as many as 10.

Both males and females help to raise the young. For 19-21 days they incubate the eggs. Both will incubate during the day, only the female at night. Both have active roles in brooding and feeding the young, but the female does most of the work. One parent will hunt, then return with a fish exactly the right size for the young, they will also hold it by the tail so that the young can swallow the fish head first. When the young are able, they will eagerly wait at the opening of the burrow to be fed. After 23-27 days the young fledge and emerge from the nest.

Lifespan/Longevity

Common kingfishers can live for as long as 15 years. The average lifespan is 7 years. However, the first months of development are the most dangerous with only 50% of the young surviving to adulthood.

Behavior

Common kingfishers are very territorial, as are all kingfishers (Alcedinidae). This is mainly because they must eat around 60% of their body weight each day. They will even defend their area from their mates and offspring. For most of the year individuals are solitary, roosting in heavy cover next to their favorite hunting spot. If another kingfisher enters its territory, both birds will sit on a perch some distance from each other and engage in territorial displays. This usually entails displaying beaks and plumage. Occasional fights also occur, where a bird will grab the other’s beak and try to hold them under water.

Home Range

Territory size is highly variable. Size depends on food availability, the quality and availability of nesting sites and individual behavior.

Communication and Perception

Common kingfishers have advanced eyesight, with the ability to polarize light, reducing the reflection of light off of water. They also learn to compensate for refraction, allowing them to catch prey more effectively. Common kingfishers communicate vocally. They are well known for their long, trilling call which sounds like a repetition of “chee”. When mating, a male will whistle loudly to a female and chase her above and through the trees. In a dive for prey, a membrane covers their eyes and they rely solely on touch to know when to snap their jaws shut.

SECRETARY BIRD

The Secretary Bird Size is tall and large, and located in open grasslands and savannah of the sub-Saharan region. The Secretary Bird has a head like an eagle with yellow color around its eyes. This hunter bird has long legs covered with thick black scales to protect the leg from snake venom.

SECRETARY BIRD SIZE

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The Height Of The Secretary Bird varies between 4 m to 4.3 m, but their height can increase up to 4.9 m. With a weight of 2.3 kg to 5 kg, they have an impressive wingspan of 6.2 ft to 7.2 ft and 2 meters wide.

The wings protect the Secretary Bird from the snake bite while chasing. With the curved talons on their ends, the toes are thick and strong. The secretary bird has a lifespan of 10-15 years and in captivity, it can live up to 19 years. Around the eyes, there are thick feathers and have black feathers on the end of the wing and thighs. There are black crests on the back of their head, which looks like old quill pens in their head.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SECRETARY BIRD

• Crest: There is the crest on the back of the head of the secretary bird, which looks like a stock of old quill pens held by official secretaries.
• Head: The head of the Secretary Bird is not large as an eagle, but has the structure of an eagle. Around the eyes, you can see the yellow and red colors and also has thick feathers. 
• Wings: With a wingspan of 6.2 ft to 7.2 ft and wideness of 2 meters, the secretary bird looks big.
• Tail: Tail varies between 57 to 85 cm and held upright. It helps to maintain balance when running fast and also in a time of the fight.
• Feet: The feet of Secretary Birds strong and have thick soles, which help to stamp the snake to death.
• Plumage: The plumages are in white color and the black in end.
• Legs: The legs are long with covered thick scales to protect them from the snake venom during the chase.

Egret

The egret (Ardeidae) is a long-legged, long-necked, wading bird inhabiting every continent. It lives in freshwater and saltwater habitats, such as marshes and wetlands, where it spends its day wading in shallow water, catching fish and other creatures. Most species form lifelong pair bonds with their mates and nest and roost in mixed species groups. Find out everything there is to know about this heron family, including where they live, what they eat, and how they behave.

5 Amazing Egret Facts

• Egrets avoid the coldest regions, high mountains, and deserts.
• They nest in tall trees over water with 10 to 30 other pairs.
• Most species are relatively vocal, making harsh croaking sounds and squeals.
• They feed in flocks, waiting in shallow water for fish to swim by before thrusting their beaks to catch their prey.
• Most animals don’t mess with these large birds; they find safety in numbers by staying in large communities. 

Where to Find the Egret

Egrets live on every continent but avoid the coldest regions, arid deserts, and extremely high mountains. They live in areas with freshwater and saltwater, including ponds, streams, lakes, marshes, wetlands, shores, mud flats, and flooded meadows. Look for these birds feeding in flocks in shallow water, nesting in tall trees, or flying overhead with their long wings.

Egret Nest

Egrets nest in mixed colonies high off the ground on the tops of shrubs and trees. They typically find spots near water, usually in trees hanging over water. The nest itself is loosely formed and made with sticks and twigs.

Size, Appearance, & Behavior

Egrets are long, slender, wading birds, measuring two to four feet long and weighing 7.8 ounces to 3.3 pounds, with a two to five-foot wingspan. These herons have long legs and necks; most have white or buff plumage with yellow, orange, or black bills. Egrets are somewhat social, forming long-term pair bonds and joining colonies (rookeries) during the breeding season. They are relatively vocal, making harsh, croaking noises and nasal squeals, especially when breeding. The egret is a slow yet strong flier with powerful wingbeats, reaching speeds up to 32 Mph.

Migration Pattern and Timing

Egrets are short to long-distance migrants. These birds fly in small flocks during the day and have varying migratory patterns. Some stay within a local area, while others travel many miles to reach warmer weather. Those in southern regions may not migrate at all.

Lady Amherst’s pheasant

Lady Amherst’s pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) is a bird of the order Galliformes and the family Phasianidae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khrusolophos, “with golden crest”. The English name and amherstiae commemorates Sarah Amherst, who was responsible for sending the first specimen of the bird to London in 1828. Lady Amherst’s pheasant is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to southwestern China and far northern Myanmar, but has been introduced elsewhere. Previously, a self-supporting feral population was established in England, the stronghold of which was in West Bedfordshire. Lady Amherst first introduced the ornamental pheasant on her estates, near the Duke of Bedford’s Woburn Abbey, where the birds were also shot for game and interbred. Although the introduced British populations are believed to have been extinct since 2015, occasional sightings of the species have occurred in subsequent years; a Lady Amherst’s pheasant was photographed in Staplegrove, Taunton in May 2020, and subsequently, in early March 2021, a Lady Amherst’s pheasant was spotted in a garden in Scotland.

Description

The adult male is 100–120 cm (40-48 in.) in length, its tail accounting for 80 cm (31 in) of the total length. It is unmistakable with its nuchal cape white black, with a red crest. The long grey tail and rump is red, blue, dark green, white and yellow plumage. The “cape” can be raised in display. This species is closely related to the golden pheasant (C. pictus), but has a yellow eye, blue-green bare skin around it. The bill is horn-coloured and they had blue-gray legs.

The female is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage all over, similar to that of the female common pheasant (P. colchicus) but with finer barring. She is very like the female golden pheasant, but has a darker head and cleaner underparts than the hen of that species.

Despite the male’s showy appearance, these birds are very difficult to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark forests with thick undergrowth. Consequently, little is known of their behavior in the wild.

Diet and behavior

They feed on the ground on grain, leaves and invertebrates, but roost in trees at night. Whilst they can fly, they prefer to run, but if startled they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed, with a distinctive wing sound. The male emits a metallic call in the breeding season.

Common Loon

Common Loons have deeply insane diving and underwater skills and some wildly crazy vocalizations.

Loons capture fish by swimming through through water. This torpedo-like attack is fueled by short, strong legs and webbed feet that provide excellent underwater speed and maneuverability.

Olympic swimmers would envy the Loons ability to make abrupt 180-degree flip turns in seconds. They would also be amazed at how the birds are able to dive without a splash and reach depths of over 200 feet. Even newly hatched chicks are able to make shallow dives to escape predators.  

How do Loons swim like that?

To start with, Loons have web feet that are placed far back on their bodies. Four hundred different species of birds have webbed feet, as well as, otters, frogs, and salamanders. Web feet spread out to push the water backwards. The toes fold together minimizing water resistance on the forward stroke.

Webbed-feet are hard to walk with. In the case of the Loon feet are placed near the back of the body making it even more difficult, some say comical, for the bird to walk on land. To experience this problem, slide on a pair of large swim fins and try to walk across the lawn. Now you know why loons spend so much time in the water and only come near shore for nesting.

Loons are less buoyant than most flying birds. Loons have heavy, solid bones that serve as underwater ballast and help them dive deep. The bones of most other flying birds are hollow and filled with air.

These birds expel air out of their lungs and plumage when diving. This reduces water resistance and buoyancy and creates a very streamlined body shape. At the same time, their heart slows down to conserve oxygen and they are able to maintain the dive for several minutes.

What are they eating?

These extraordinary swimming skills are needed to capture fish, their diet mainstay. Some fish have erratic swim patterns and are easily caught by the Loon (this includes Bluegill and Yellow Perch). Fish that swim straight ahead (like salmon and trout) are more difficult.

Fish are caught underwater and often swallowed head first. Sometimes larger fish may be brought to the surface. Other prey may include crustaceans, crayfish, snails, leeches, lobsters, insect larvae, mollusks, frogs, worms, and occasionally aquatic plants.

Adult loons may eat up to two pounds of fish per day, and a loon family with two chicks may consume over 900 pounds of fish over the course of a breeding season.

How well do they fly?

Loons can fly ~70 mph and routinely migrate. They are like a jumbo-jet—they need a lot of space to take off and land. At times, a Loon can become stranded and unable to take-off if the pond is too small. They are not able to take-off and fly from land.

Loons are fast flyers and have a wide territory in the coastal U.S., and northern U.S. and southern Canada. Many migrate and over winter in coastal areas. Some migrate south into Baja California. In all cases, they will only stay in waters that are crystal clean and well populated with fish.  

Loon call

Loons are often identified by their eerie, and unusual calls. They use a tremolo call (that sounds like crazy laughing) when alarmed or to announce their presence and soft hoots to keep in contact with their young and each other. Each male loon also has a unique yodel used to identify territory.

Reddish Egret

Geography/Habitat:

Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) is uncommon to locally common along the Texas coast year round. Most inland records are post-breeding dispersal of juveniles, but they predominantly stick to the coastal areas. There are records in all regions of Texas, but the Western and Panhandle areas have limited sightings with the exceptions of the West Texas reservoirs. Outside of Texas, Reddish Egrets range along the Gulf Coast from the Yucatan around to Florida and the Pacific Coast from southern California through Central America. Most of the nesting locations are limited to small uninhabited islands that are vulnerable to tropical storms, hurricanes, and ship traffic erosion. They typically lay two to seven pale blue-green eggs in a stick nest that is built in a low tree, mangrove, or on the ground. Incubation is about 25 days and is carried out by both parents. Their preferred habitat is shallow coastal lagoons and estuaries with a diet consisting of small fish, frogs, and crustaceans.

Identification:

Reddish Egret is a member of the Ardeidae Family that consists of bitterns, herons, and egrets. Reddish Egret is a medium size egret that has a slender long neck and long legs. The bill is fairly heavy and pointed and is pink with a black tip. During the breeding season, the lores are violet. There are two morphs (Dark and White) for this species. The dark morph’s head and long neck is covered in shaggy feathers that are rufous in color. The body and legs are blue-gray in color. The white morph’s head, neck, and body are entirely white. The white morph make up approximately five percent of the population. They have a large wingspan at four feet and stand two and a half feet high. Juveniles are very similar to an adult with the dark morph being a pale color and lacking the rich rufous neck color. Their typical weight is one pound. They call infrequently except when disturbed. The call is a soft groan and a short grunt. While displaying, they will frequently clatter their bills.

Interesting Facts:

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Reddish Egrets is their hunting technique. They are very animated while hunting with their neck feathers flared, constantly prancing around, jumping and spinning, and spreading their wings.

Reddish Egret populations were devastated by commercial hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s when they were sought for their beautiful feathers.

The population has recovered from a century ago with an estimated 6,000-10,000 breeding pairs in the continental United States. However, the species is still on the concerned species list due to the degradation and destruction of its preferred coastal habitat.

A group of egrets has many collective nouns, including a “congregation”, “heronry”, “RSVP”, “skewer”, and “wedge” of egrets.