Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus

Where I live we have heaps of Seagulls, Canadian Geese, and Pigeons. They're everywhere to the point that most people don't consider them to be especially remarkable. But of course, every animal is awesome in their own way, and even if you disagree, they still probably have really cool cousins (like every single Pigeon from New Guinea).

Case in point- today's animal, the Swallow-tailed Gull. This Seagull is found only on the Galapagos Islands, and it is unusual and unique among all of the Gulls because of its feeding habits.

Most Seagulls feed during the daytime, but not the Swallow-tailed Gull! They forage nocturnally for fish and squid. Because they hunt at night, they avoid being the victims of Kleptoparasitism (one of my favorite words!) Other Seabirds, like Frigatebirds, will steal food from hunting Gulls. Swallow-tailed Gulls don't have this issue, as the Frigatebirds practice their piracy during the daytime. The Gulls have even adapted eyes that allow them to see better in the dark.

Swallow-tailed Gulls live in very large seaside colonies, and they even build their nests on the cliff using twigs, corals, and even sea urchins to build their nests. They only lay one egg each season, which is also a relatively unique trait among Gulls, and both parents incubate and feed the chick until it leaves the nest 3-4 months later. Breeding pairs often stay together year after year.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Galapagos Islands
Size : Body length up to 22in (56cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Laridae -- Genus : Creagrus-- Species : C. furcatus

Elegant Tern

Thalasseus elegans

Today's animal is a migratory bird with a long bill and a nifty black crest. Elegant Terns live off the Pacific North American coasts, hanging out at different latitudes during different points of the year. They are shore birds and are very rarely found inland.

Elegant Terns have a massive migration route, though it as not as long as that of their Arctic Tern cousins. They spend their summers breeding up near California and Mexico, and then winter as far south as Chile. Interestingly, it is estimated that 90%-97% of all Elegant Terns nest in one colony on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, Mexico!

Elegant Terns breed in monogamous pairs, and both parents help to incubate and feed the chicks. Chicks leave the nest after only a week, and they join a large colony, or creche, of similarly aged young birds. They will stay with the creche for a little over a month, and their parents will continue to feed them during that time. Once they fledge, they remain near their family for several more months.

Elegant Terns are carnivores that feed primarily on fish. They hunt by flying over the water, adn then diving down swiftly to snatch up a meal.

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IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Pacific Coasts
Size : Body length 16in (41cm), Wingspan 42in (107cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Sternidae -- Genus : Thalasseus -- Species : T. elegans

Sooty Tern

Onychoprion fuscatus

There are dozens of species of Tern, and while many look alike, today's animal is quite distinct. Sooty Terns have very dark feathers on their back, wings, and on their face, as well as a black bill and feet. This sets them apart from all the lighter colored, and often yellow-billed Terns.

Sooty Terns are one of the most abundant Seabird species in the tropics-- there may be as many as 60 million of them! They live throughout the tropical oceans, and rarely come to land at all, only migrating to various islands in order to breed and lay their eggs. Did you know that these Terns can spend several years at sea?

When they do decide to come ashore, they craft nests on the ground in scrapes and crevasses. They lay 1-3 eggs at a time. Sooty Terns have decently long lifespans-- lasting around 32 years.

Sooty Terns feed on fish, crustaceans, and squid, and they require these meals to be driven to the surface in order to be caught. Therefore they depend a lot on other predators (like large fish) to also be hunting.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Tropical Oceans
Size : Length up to 14in (36cm), Wingspan up to 36in (92cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Sternidae -- Genus : Onychoprion -- Species : O. fuscatus

Ivory Gull

Pagophila eburnea

The Ivory Gull is a small to medium sized Gull that spends most of its time at the high Arctic latitudes. They migrate only very short distances (it is rare for them to enter temperate zones), and are usually found within close vicinity of pack ice. They are the only members of their genus, Pagophila.

Ivory Gulls are appropriately colored for a snowy, winter-year-round environment. Their feathers are completely white, the bill is a bluish grey, and their black legs and eyes are the only dark shades on them. As juveniles they have a bit of black flecking on the feathers, and it takes about two years to develop the snow-white plumage.

These seabirds are both hunters and scavengers. They snatch up crustaceans, fish, rodents, and small birds, but they will also feed on corpses, including those of larger animals like seal and caribou. Other things that these opportunistic feeders will chow down on? The feces and placentas of other animals! Mmm.

Ivory Gulls will also sometimes regurgitate pellets filled with things like fur and bones (similar to what owls do). This practice is more common in areas where rodents make up a larger percentage of the diet.

The Gulls themselves are prey for many larger creatures, ranging from Raptors to Polar Bears. Even their nests become dinner-- once vacated, Caribou will feed on the structures, which are made out of mosses and lichens. Perhaps the most dangerous threat, however, is the Arctic Fox. Foxes will eat the birds at any life stage, and are capable of clearing out entire breeding colonies!

Foxes aren't the only threats though. Ivory Gulls are listed as Near Threatened, and their population has been on the decline since the 1980s. This is due to climate change, human encroachment, and the spread of pollutants in the oceans. Mercury levels in sea bird eggs have risen incredibly in the last 30 years, and those levels have an impact on reproduction.

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IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Arctic
Size : Length up to 17in (43cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Laridae -- Genus : Pagophila-- Species : P. eburnea

Cape Gannet

Morus capensis

The Cape Gannet is a very striking seabird, identified by its yellow face and neck and sleek white and black feathers. They breed on islands off the Cape of South Africa, and winter along the African coastal shores. Fish makes up their primary food source, and they retrieve it by plunging into the water from substantial heights.

Cape Gannets breed on only six different islands, nesting in large colonies. Males arrive on site first and stake out a territory, females are then attracted to his site thanks to calls, head bobs, and shakes. If she likes what she sees, a monogamous bond is formed. The couple will work together to build a nest out of guano and plants, creating it in depressions on the ground. They both help to incubate the single egg, which takes around 45 days to hatch. After hatching, it will take 3-4 months for fledging to occur. Once the Juveniles leave their parents, they will head out to see and not return to breed for 3-4 years.

Unfortunately, the fact that the Cape Gannets breed on only six small islands means that they are quite vulnerable. Over-fishing of their main prey led to a population drop, as did oil spills, pollution, and guano collection. The six island breeding sites are now protected, and one site in particular has an interesting story behind it.

In 2005, Bird Island was abandoned as a breeding site, due to the spread of seabird-killing seals, but the birds were wanted back by the local human population. The theory was that because ducks will go to sites that have duck decoys, Gannets will as well. Gannet decoys were deployed onto abandoned nests, and voila! The Cape Gannets began to return! The seals still pose a threat, but efforts are being made to keep them at bay.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : Africa
Size : Length around 3ft (.9m), Wingspan around 6ft (1.8m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Suliformes
Family : Sulidae -- Genus : Morus -- Species : M. capensis

Crested Auklet

Aethia cristatella

Today, where I live, it is finally cold. I got out the winter coat for the very first time, which is a little shocking for a Wisconsin winter. Seriously, it was 50 degrees three days last week. Anyway, I'm in a frosty mood, with it being 3 degrees outside, so lets learn about an Arctic critter today!

The Crested Auklet is a small Arctic Seabird that nests in the Bering Sea and in the Sea of Okhotsk. They live in huge colonies on rocky coasts and islands, and they don't even build nests! The females just lay their single egg right there on the boulders!

Male and Female Crested Auklets looks the same, and are named for the fancy crest of feathers that forms during the breeding season. They feed primarily on Plankton, but will also feed on small fish on occasion. Crested Auklets are birds that are built for swimming, and their body position makes them pretty awkward on land. And don't confuse them with Antarctic Penguins! Crested Auklets can definitely fly!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Alaska and Russia
Size : Length up to 11in (27cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Alcidae -- Genus : Aethia -- Species : A. cristatella

Great Auk

Pinguinus impennis

The Greak Auk once lived across the North Atlantic, and was once referred to as "the Penguin of the North" due to the fact that it was a black and white waterbird unable to fly. Their genus name is even Pinguinus!

Like Penguins, Great Auks were excellent swimmers and fish catchers. They hunted in shallow coastal waters, and moved to rocky islands in order to breed. They probably mated for life, and did you know that their eggs were 5in (13cm) long?

Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Great Auk. Between the 15th and 19th centuries millions of them were hunted for meat and feathers. While their lack of flight allowed them to hunt effectively in water, it also made them very easy targets for man. Before human encroachment, the Auks had very few natural predators. A second blow came when, in 1830, the last remaining colony sunk off the coast of Iceland due to a volcanic eruption. The few surviving birds were swiftly killed off when they relocated to the mainland.

By 1844, the once abundant birds were all gone. A few dozen specimens in museums are all that we have left of the Penguin of the North.

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Status : Extinct since 1844

Location : North Atlantic
Size : Height up to 33in (85cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Alcidae -- Genus : Pinguinus-- Species : P. impennis

Tufted Puffin

Fratercula cirrhata

Meet the Tufted Puffin, a seabird from the Northern Pacific that is the largest of the Puffin species.

These birds are best identified by their breeding plumage, which shows up only during the summer months. Their normally yellow/orange bills and feet turn bright red, their black faces change to white, and both sexes grow large yellow feather tufts.

The Tufted Puffins breed in large colonies-- some of them have literally tens of thousands of pairs! They build very crude nests, placing a soft lining of feathers and plants in a rock crevice, or in a burrows scratched out with their feet. Only one egg is laid at a time, and the chick is incubated and cared for by both parents.

Tufted Puffins are much better in the water than they are on land. They are able to dive after their fishy food, and they typically eat their meals while still under water. The exception to this is when they have offspring to take care of. A Puffin parent can hold as many as 20 fish horizontally in their beak in order to take the food home to feed their chick.

Tufted Puffins are currently listed as being of Least Concern, but their population was not always doing so well.These birds thrive in areas that are free of mammalian predators, which unfortunately were introduced to several Puffin islands during the 19th and 20th centuries. The mammals destroyed the Puffin colonies, but efforts to remove the invasive hunters have allowed the Puffins to rebound spectacularly. Native peoples have also traditionally hunted the Puffins for their meat, feathers, and hides, but the practice is now discouraged (or even illegal) in many areas.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North Pacific
Size : Length around 15in (35cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Alcidae -- Genus : Fratercula -- Species : F. cirrhata

Imperial Shag

Phalacrocorax atriceps

The Imperial Shag goes by many names, including the Blue Eyed Shag and the Blue Eyed Cormorant. They live in the southern reaches of the planet, hunting and breeding as far away as Antarctica.

As with all Cormorants, the Imperial Shag dives for its food. They have very little body fat and heavy bones. This allows them to be less buoyant and to swim underwater easier. The Shags posses a large volume of blood, and that extra oxygen lets them stay underwater for up to 4 minutes. They also have powerful webbed feet that propel them, and hooked beaks that enable them to catch and hold on to slippery fish.

Outside of the breeding season Imperial Shags may live either alone or in flocks. But when the time comes to reproduce they always end up in massive colonies that often consist of other bird species as well. Pairs are monogamous, and 2-4 eggs are laid each season. Both parents incubate and  care for the offspring until they fledge after 2-3 months.

Because most Imperial Shags live in areas that tend to be human-free, they aren't threatened overall. However, some small island populations are vulnerable to natural events that could affect their breeding and hunting range.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Southern Oceans
Size : Length up to 31in (78cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Phalacrocoracidae -- Genus-: Phalacrocorax -- Species : P. atriceps