Seabird

Seabirds are birds that spend much of their lives, outside the breeding season at least, at sea. Whilst the seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptions. Some seabird species, such as the albatrosses and petrels are truly pelagic, breeding on sea cliffs and small islands, and wintering on the open ocean. They are totally dependent on the sea for food. Other species such as the auks and cormorants tend to be more coastal. Some seabird species are marine for only part of the year, nesting inland in marshes and on lakes.

Related Topics:
Bird - Convergent evolution - Niche - Albatross - Petrel - Pelagic - Auk - Cormorant - Marine - Nest - Marsh - Lake

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Seabirds live longer, breed later and have fewer young than other birds do, but they invest a great deal of time in those young that they do have. Most species nest in colonies, which can vary in size from a few dozen birds to many millions. They are famous for undertaking long annual migrations, crossing the equator or circumnavigating the earth in some cases. They feed both at the ocean's surface and below it, and even feed on each other.

Related Topics:
Migrations - Equator

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Seabirds and humans have a long history together, they have provided food to hunters, guided fishermen to fishing stocks and sailors to land. Many species are currently threatened by human activities, and conservation efforts are underway to preserve them.

Related Topics:
Human - Hunter - Fishermen - Sailor - Threatened - Conservation

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