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One of the most significant threats is the loss and degradation of their breeding habitats. Many marine birds rely on remote islands and coastal areas for breeding, which are vulnerable to human disturbance, invasive species, habitat destruction, and rising sea levels due to climate change.
- Atlantic Puffin
- Brown Booby
- California Brown Pelican
- Red-Tailed Tropicbird
- Magnificent Frigatebird
- Laysan Albatross
- Southern Giant Petrel
- Northern Fulmar
- Cape Gannet
- Common Murre
These seabirds are also known as the Common Puffin. It is part of the Auk family which includes auklets, murres, murrelets and guillemots. Atlantic Puffins live along rocky coastlines and islands, spending their winters far out at sea. They are pursuit divers, using their wings to “fly” underwater to catch fish such as herring, sandeel and capelin ...
The Brown Booby, a close relative of the gannet, shares a similar shape and behavior, though slightly smaller. They rest in large rafts on the water’s surface. Brown Boobies favor inshore waters, whereflying fish and squid dominate their diet, supplemented by halfbeak, mullet, and anchovy. Whileplunge-diving is their main hunting strategy usually u...
Brown Pelicansprefer shallow coastal waters and avoid the open sea. They are highly social seabirds, breeding in colonies and often feeding in groups. While their diet mainly consists of sardines, anchovies and larger fish like mackerel, they’ve also been observed taking shrimp, carrion, and even young egrets. Their dive technique involves plunging...
The Red-Tailed Tropicbird rarely ventures near land. They prey on flying fish, squid and other marine organisms, plunging into the water to catch their meals. These seabirds engage in elaborate aerial courtship displays and often breed on remote islands. They can be found nesting on inaccessible cliffs or simple ground scrapes. Red-Tailed Tropicbir...
The Magnificent Frigatebird spends most of its life soaring through the skies, rarely landing on the ground. They are well-known for their elaborate courtship displays, with males inflating their bright red throat pouches to attract females. These seabirdsprefer to nest in elevated locations like mangroves, bushes, or even cacti, but will nest on t...
The Laysan Albatross is renowned for its elaborate courtship displays and lifelong pair bonds. Their primary breeding grounds lie in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where the Midway Atoll hosts the largest colony of over 660,000 pairs. While their diet mainly comprises squid, they also consume a variety of fish, crustaceans, and other marine inv...
The Southern Giant Petrel is a powerful seabird of the Southern Ocean, known for its aggressive scavenging behavior and predatory skills. Their diet is varied, from fish and squid to krill and carrion, and they often follow ships to scavenge discarded food. Often referred to as “Stinkers” or “Stinkpots,” these large seabirds are infamous for projec...
The Northern Fulmar has a short neck and chunky bill. It spends most of its time far out at sea and are commonly spotted soaring above the waves on stiff wings, occasionally flapping in a series of rapid beats. They are adaptable nesters, favoring cliffs and rocky outcrops but also using flatter terrain oreven human structures near the coast. Their...
The Cape Gannet is a non-migratory seabird that stays within 500 km of its breeding colonies year-round. Juveniles embark on longer journeys, traveling up to 4,000 km towards the equator before returning to breed at around four years of age. They nest on offshore islands, preferring flat or gently sloping areas, but can also use cliffs and man-made...
The Common Murre is a member of the Auk family and is a highly skilled pursuit diver. Their diet consists mainly of small fish such as shannies, capelin, sandeels and clupeids. foraging range is flexible, adapting to seasonal changes and prey availability. These seabirds often forage close to their breeding colonies, especially during chick-rearing...
Feb 9, 2023 · There are over 30 various species of seals and sea lions living in the world’s oceans, all of which swim a great deal faster than the average human. Although they appear clumsy and awkward on land, in the water, the seal uses its torpedo-shaped body and fin-like feet to perform amazing feats of agility and predation.
Dec 11, 2023 · Human disturbance doesn’t only affect seals, it impacts a range of other marine animals, so it’s important that we know how to share these habitats safely and with consideration for the creatures that live in them.
- They have been around for a long time. Fossil records indicate that the ancestors of modern seals first entered the ocean on the west coast, about 28–30 million years ago.
- There are three different major types of pinnipeds. “Phocid seals” are also called “true seals” and include several species such as harbor seals and gray seals.
- They have whiskers they use like cats do. Seals and sea lions have many well-developed whiskers, much like cats. Like cats, they have a very acute sense of touch.
- They can go for long periods of time without eating. A seal’s body stores enough fat in the blubber layer to allow the animal to go for extended periods of time without eating.
Seals are carnivorous and dive underwater to hunt for fish, crustaceans, seabirds, and other marine animals. Whales, sharks, and even other seals are the primary non-human predators of seals.
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Jun 17, 2013 · The videos above show how a highly trained free-diver compares in breath-holding ability to a common seal. And here we explore some of the most extreme examples of breath-holding in the animal ...
