Transcript Wetland Birds Move Over Ducks, Geese, and Swans By: Danny Hwang

Wetland Birds
Move Over Ducks, Geese,
and Swans
By: Danny Hwang
Origin of Birds
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Believed to have evolved
from small theropod
dinosaurs (Velociraptor)
– Structurally
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Both have 3 digits
Shoulder sockets similar
– Behavior
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Incubated Nests
Archaeopteryx
– Earliest Bird.
– Transitional species from
dinosaurs to birds.
– Beak with sharp teeth.
– Lack of keel.
Modern Bird Features
 Power
of Flight
– Keel present / Large Breast Muscle
– Hollow Bones / Mass Distribution
– Feathers (4 types)
 Beak
with no teeth
 Single bone in middle ear.
 Four-Chambered Heart
 Internal fertilization (lay eggs)
Bird Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
 Phylum: Chordata
 Subphylum: Vertebrata
 Class: Aves
 Superorders: Paleognathae
Neognathae
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Superorder: Neognathae
Orders:
 WATER-FOWL
– Anseriformes – Ducks, Geese, Swans
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NON- WATERFOWL
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Gruiformes – Cranes
Rallidae – Rails, Coots.
Podicipediformes – Grebes
Ciconiiformes – Herons
Coraciiformes - Kingfishers
Gaviiformes – Loons
Charadriiformes - Shorebirds
Falconiformes – Birds of Prey
Passeriformes – Songbirds
Wetland Use by Birds
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Wetlands are important bird habitats
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Breeding
Drinking Water
Feeding
Shelter
Social Interactions
What is a wetland?
 Area
of land saturated with water for
all or varying times of the year.
Types of Wetlands
 Marshes
– Tidal
– Non-Tidal
 Wet
Meadows
 Prairie Potholes
 Vernal Pools
 Playa Lakes
Types of Wetlands
 Swamps
– Forested Swamps
 Bottomland
Hardwoods
– Shrub Swamps
 Mangrove
Swamps
Types of Wetlands
 Bogs
– Northern Bogs
 Acidic
and precipitationdependent.
Wetland-Dependent Birds
 Cranes
 Grebes
 Herons
 Kingfishers
 Loons
 Shorebirds
 Birds
of Prey
 Songbirds
Cranes
 Order:
Gruiformes
– Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane
(Grus canadensis)
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Large, long-legged and longnecked birds.
Fly with necks straight.
Height: 4 ft.
Weight: 5-8 lbs
Wing Span: Up to 6 ft.
Breed in marshes and bogs
around Canada, Alaska,
Siberia, U.S.
Forage in shallow waters
Rails
 Order:
Rallidae
– King Rail
– American Coot
King Rail
(Rallus elegans)
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Largest North American Rail.
Permanent residents along the
southeastern coasts.
Migrate to southern U.S. and
Mexico.
Breed in marshes of eastern North
America.
The nest is a raised platform built
with marsh vegetation and
covered by a canopy.
Forage in shallow water near
cover and mainly eat aquatic
insects and crustaceans.
American Coot
(Fulica americana)
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Scalloped toes rather than webbed.
Breed in Marshes
Nests are typically in tall reeds.
Can dive for food but can also forage
on land.
Adults mostly consume "pond scum".
Use a great deal of effort to become
airborne, pedaling across the water
with their feet before lifting off.
The way in which their heads bob
when they walk or swim has earned
them the name "mud hen".
Grebes
 Order:
Podicipediformes
– Pied-Billed Grebe
Pied-Billed Grebe
(Podilymbus podiceps)
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Size: Small to Medium-Large.
Feet placed far back on the body.
Narrow wings and unusual plumage
Most widespread of the North
American Grebes.
Found on remote ponds, marshes,
and sluggish streams.
The only grebe to not show a white
wing patch during flight.
Breeds across Canada, U.S. and
South America.
Rare on salt water.
Eats fish, amphibians, and insects.
Herons
 Order:
Ciconiiformes
– Great Blue Heron
– Boat-Billed Heron
– Cattle Egret
Great Blue Heron
(Ardea herodias)
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Height: 4 ft.
Wingspan: 7 ft.
Weight: 6 lbs.
GBH is the largest North
American heron.
Herons fly with their necks
retracted (S-shape).
Breeds in trees close to lakes
and wetlands.
It feeds in shallow water or at
the water's edge and spears
fish and other amphibians with
its long, sharp bill.
Boat-Billed Heron
(Cochlearius cochlearius)
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An atypical member of the heron
family.
Nocturnal Bird.
Adult has a black crown, long crest
and upper back.
The face, throat and breast are
white, and the lower underparts are
rufous with black flanks.
The wings and lower back are pale
grey. The massive broad scoop-like
bill, which gives rise to this species'
name, is mainly black.
Feeds on Fish, Crustaceans, Insects.
Lives in mangrove swamps in
Mexico/South America.
Cattle Egret
(Bubulcus ibis)
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Small white heron.
Length: 1.7 ft
Weight: 1.3 lbs
Breeds in large wetlands of
warm climate countries.
Nests in colonies.
Found on dry, grassy
habitats, unlike other herons
Feed on insects
Special relationship with
ruminants
Kingfishers
 Order:
Coraciiformes
– Belted Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
(Ceryle alcyon)
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Large heads, long bill, short
stubby legs.
Breeds near inland bodies of
water or along coasts.
Feed on Fish, Amphibians,
Arthropods, small mammals,
lizards and berries.
Beat their prey to death.
Migrates south to the Southern
U.S., Mexico, South America.
Population levels declining
probably due to habitat loss.
Loons
 Order:
Gaviiformes
– Common Loon
– Loon vocalizations
Common Loon
(Gavia immer)
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Similar to a duck in appearance, yet unrelated.
Length: Up to 3 ft.
Wingspan: Up to 5 ft.
Weight: Average (9lbs)
Getting airborne requires water skimming.
Breed in inland freshwater lakes and ponds.
Can live as long as 30 years!
Specialist Fish-eater.
Population affected by acid rain/pollution.
Migrating Common Loons occasionally land on
wet highways or parking lots, mistaking them
for rivers and lakes.
They become stranded without a considerable
amount of open water for a long takeoff. A loon
may also get stranded on a pond that is too
small
Shorebirds
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Order: Charadriiformes
– Greater Yellowlegs
210 species
 Possess sensitive nerve endings at the end
of their bills, which enable them to detect
prey items hidden in mud or soft soil.
 Feed primarily on small invertebrates.
 Shorebird Sounds
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Greater Yellowlegs
(Tringa melanoleuca )
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Large Shorebird.
Long yellow legs.
Breeds in bogs, marshes in the
boreal forest of Canada and
Alaska.
Nests on the ground, usually in
well-hidden locations near water.
Migrate to both U.S. coasts and
south to Centra America.
Forages in shallow water,
sometimes using their bill to stir
up the water.
Feeds on insects and small fish,
as well as crustaceans and
marine worms.
Birds of Prey
 Order:
Falconiformes
– Osprey
Osprey
(Pandion haliaetus)
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Medium-large raptor.
Length: 2 ft.
Wingspan: 5-5.5 ft.
Worldwide Distribution.
Closable nostrils.
Talons with backward facing scales.
Specialist-Fish Eater
Breeds by freshwater lakes and
sometimes on coastal brackish waters.
Nest is a large heap of sticks in trees.
Will delay breeding if no nests are
available.
Population negatively affected by
pesticides.
Osprey Diving for Fish
Osprey Catching Fish
Songbirds
 Order:
Passeriformes
– American Dipper
– Common Yellowthroat
– Louisiana Waterthrush
– Marsh Wren
– Red-Winged Blackbird
– Swamp Sparrow
– Prothonotary Warbler
American Dipper
(Cinclus mexicanus)
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Stocky Dark Gray Bird.
Year-round resident in
western North America.
Dives and walks along the
bottoms of streams to find
their prey (Salmon)
Indicator species of good
water quality.
Population affected from
pollution and increased silt
load in streams.
Availability of nest sites
may also be a factor.
Common Yellowthroat
(Geothlypis trichas)
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Adults have a black
face mask, brown
back, yellow throat
and white belly.
Breeds in marshy
habitats and other wet
areas with dense low
vegetation.
Feeds on insects.
Population decreasing
due to loss of habitat,
but still species
commonly heard.
Louisiana Waterthrush
(Seiurus motacilla)
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Plain brown back and
white below streaked with
black .
Breeds in wet woodlands
near running water
(forested streams).
Nest in a rock crevice or
amongst tree roots.
Feeds on insects, molluscs,
and crustaceans amongst
leaf litter.
Marsh Wren
(Cistothorus palustris)
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Breeds in marshes with tall
vegetation (i.e. cattails).
Nest is an oval lump attached to
marsh vegetation, entered from
the side.
Feeds primarily on insects, but
also snails and spiders.
Though still common,
populations are slowly declining
due to loss of wetland habitats.
Red-Winged Blackbird
(Agelaius phoeniceus)
Distinctive red shoulder
patch.
 Feed primarily on seeds,
but a ¼ of their diet
consists of insects,
molluscs and arthropods.
 Very Aggressive
Defenders.
 Prefers marshy habitats,
but will nest near any
body of water.
Cong-a-lee!!
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Swamp Sparrow
(Melospiza georgiana)
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Adults have streaked rusty and black
upperparts with a gray breast, light
belly and a white throat .
Breed in marshes, including salt
marshes.
The bulky nest is attached to marsh
vegetation, often with leaves arching
over the top.
Has longer legs than other members
of its genus, which allows for this
songbird to forage in shallow waters.
Has been seen to dabble in the water
to capture aquatic invertebrates.
Prothonotary Warbler
(Protonotaria citrea)
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Olive back with blue-grey wings and
tail, yellow underparts.
Breeds in hardwood swamps in
southern Canada and the eastern U.S.
Cavity nester.
The preferred foraging habitat is
dense, woody streams.
Forage actively in low foliage in wet
areas.
Feed mainly on insects and snails.
Declining in numbers due to loss of
habitat.
They are also frequently victimized by
the dump parasites (Brown-Headed
Cowbird).
Named after the officials in the Roman
Catholic Church known as the
protonotarii, who wore golden robes
Effects of Wetland Loss on Birds
 Habitat
Loss = Population Loss
 About one-third of North American
bird species use wetlands for food,
shelter, and or breeding (Kroodsma,
1979).
 About one-half of the 188 animals
that are federally designated as
endangered or threatened are
wetland dependent (Niering, 1988).
Efforts to preserve Wetlands
 U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
 Nature Conservancy
 National Audubon Society
Summary / Conclusions
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Birds are fully or partiallydependent on wetlands.
Birds are important to us
because:
– Ecologically:
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Birds fill a niche to maintain
the health of our ecosystems
– Seed Dispersal / Pollinators
– Natural killers of insect and
agricultural pests
– Recycles nutrients/carbon
– Human:
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Cultural Enhancements
Cleans up our roads.
They are finger-lickin’ GOOD!
Questions?