The three species are the only birds with distinctive uneven bills with the lower mandible longer than the upper. The family comprises three species found in South Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Skimmers, are a small family of tern-like birds in the order Charadriiformes, which also includes the waders, gulls and auks. Terns are generally long-living birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25–30 years. Depending on the species and habitat, the nests may consist of unlined scrapes in the ground, or of flimsy collections of sticks on trees or floating vegetation. Terns generally nest in large, densely packed colonies (an exception to this is the White Tern). Apart from bathing, they only rarely swim, despite having webbed feet. Terns only glide infrequently a few species, notably Sooty Tern, will soar high above the sea. Most Terns feed on fish by diving, often hovering first, but the Marsh Terns pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Many terns breeding in temperate zones are long-distance migrants, and the Arctic Tern probably sees more daylight than any other creature, as it migrates from its northern breeding grounds to Antarctic waters. Terns range in size from the Least Tern, at 1.5 oz and 9 inches, to the Caspian Tern, at 1.4 lbs and 21 inches. They are lighter bodied and more streamlined than gulls, and look elegant in flight with long tails and long narrow wings. They are, in general, medium to large birds, typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Terns belongs to a family of birds known as Sternidae. They are less common on tropical islands, although a few species do live on islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia. Gulls breed on every continent, including the margins of Antarctica, and are found in the high Arctic as well. They are generally uniform in shape, with heavy bodies, long wings, moderately long necks. Gull species range in size from the Little Gull, at 4.2 oz and 11.5 inches, to the Great Black-backed Gull, at 3.8 lbs and 30 inches. Gulls are typically long-living birds, with a maximum age of almost 50 years recorded for the Herring Gull. Live food often includes crabs and small fish. Most Gulls will take live food or scavenge opportunistically. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls, stout, longish bills, and webbed feet. Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. Until the twenty-first century most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera. They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders. Gulls or seagulls are birds in the family Laridae. In the air, they beat their wings rapidly (up to 400 times per minute)in swift flight, often flying low over the ocean's surface. Their short wings are adapted for swimming with a flying technique under water. They shed the colourful outer parts of their bills after the breeding season, leaving a smaller and duller beak. Two species, the Tufted Puffin and Horned Puffin, are found in the North Pacific Ocean, while the Atlantic Puffin is found in the North Atlantic Ocean.Īll puffin species have predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and large beaks. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. They fly relatively high above the water, typically over 30 feet high. The colourful outer part of the bill is shed after the breeding season.Īlthough Puffins are vocal at their breeding colonies, they are silent at sea. The bill is large and colorful during the breeding season. The head has a black cap, the face is mainly white, and the feet are orange-red. The Puffin is a stocky, short-winged and short-tailed bird, with black upper parts and white or brownish-grey underparts. They are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. Puffins belong to the family of birds known as alcids. Wildlife Photography, Puffin photos, Puffin picture, Puffin pics, Puffin images Tern and Puffin photos, pictures and photography
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