Birds
Class Aves
This class is for the birds! Birds have scales on their feet, and feathers, which are just modified scales, covering their body. Birds lay eggs that require incubation and have hollow bones, allowing even large birds to weigh only a few pounds. Birds also have the best vision of all the vertebrates. The number of birds that frequent the salt marsh is extensive, so we decided to group the birds into four basic groups.
Birds of prey: Birds of prey, also called raptors, are any predatory bird that hunts and feeds on larger animals, such as mice, reptiles, fish, and other birds. Raptors have a hooked beak, sharp talons, and exceptional vision that allows them to see prey on the ground during flight.
Songbirds: Songbirds are known as “perching” birds, as their feet are specifically adapted to grip a perch, like a small branch. True to the name, they are well-developed vocally; each will have unique calls or songs. These songs are used for various communications. Most birds have a song solely for courtship.
Seabirds and Shorebirds: A seabird is any bird that spends most, if not all, of its life in the marine environment and has adapted to interact with, and get its nutrition from the ocean. A shorebird is any bird that frequents the shoreline; they generally have long legs and slender bills to probe sediment for prey. Gulls, terns, and skimmers have similar traits and behaviors, so are grouped together.
Wading birds: Wading birds can be found in fresh and saltwater habitats. On the coast, they are most often seen in tidal creeks, feeding along the creek banks, near oyster reefs, and on mud flats. They have long, thin legs to help them walk across soft, unstable mud, their bills are usually long and designed to probe soft sediments for prey, and their necks are usually long and sinuous.
Birds of Prey
American bald eagle C
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Characteristics:
Brown body; white head, neck, and tail
- Range:
North America
- Size:
70-90in (2m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Nests in tall trees along shorelines
- Fun Fact:
White plumage will not develop until eaglet is at least three years old
Osprey C
Pandion haliaetus
- Characteristics:
Brown with white speckled breast, dark stripe across eyes
- Range:
North America, Alaska, south to Chile
- Size:
55-70in (1.5m) wingspan
- Habitat:
- Fun Fact:
Dense, oily plumage allows deep dives for prey
Red-tailed hawk C
Buteo jamaicensis
- Characteristics:
Brown plumage above, white below; belly streaked with brown
- Range:
North America
- Size:
48in (1.25m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Builds nest with sticks and conceals it between branches of a tree
- Fun Fact:
Songbirds
Belted kingfisher C
Megaceryle alcyon
- Characteristics:
Blue dorsally with white spots; females with red band on belly
- Range:
North America
- Size:
23in (58cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Nests on banks
- Fun Fact:
Courting males will feed females
Marsh wren C
Cistothorus palustris
- Characteristics:
Small brown, gray body; upturned tail; streaks on head and above eye
- Range:
North America coasts to Mexico
- Size:
5in (13cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Hides in marsh grass
- Fun Fact:
Heard more than seen
Red-winged blackbird C
Agelaius phoeniceus
- Characteristics:
Males black with red and yellow spot on wings; females brown with red chin
- Range:
Throughout U.S.
- Size:
16in (41cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Fresh and salt marshes
- Fun Fact:
Commonly seen in small flocks
Saltmarsh sparrow C
Ammodramus caudacutus
- Characteristics:
Yellow face, gray patch over ear
- Range:
Atlantic coast of the U.S. and upper Gulf of Mexico
- Size:
7in (18cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Salt marsh
- Fun Fact:
Nests often washed away by extreme tides
Seabirds and Shorebirds
American oystercatcher C
Haematopus palliatus
- Characteristics:
Black heads with white breast; long, red bill
- Range:
U.S. coasts
- Size:
35in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Sand and mud flats near oyster reefs
- Fun Fact:
Form long-term bonds with mate
Brown pelican C
Pelecanus occidentalis
- Characteristics:
Head white, brown down the neck; long bill with pouch (gular)
- Range:
NC to FL and Gulf of Mexico
- Size:
78in (2m) wingspan
- Habitat:
- Fun Fact:
Removed from endangered species list in 2009
Clapper rail C
Rallus longirostris
- Characteristics:
Thin with long legs and large feet; black and white bars on sides
- Range:
U.S. coasts to Peru and Brazil
- Size:
21in (53cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Construct canopy over nests to conceal
- Fun Fact:
Very secretive
Double-crested cormorant C
Phalacrocorax auritus
- Characteristics:
Black with yellow beak; long neck
- Range:
North America
- Size:
48in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Fresh and coastal waterways
- Fun Fact:
Will stand on banks with wings spread to dry
Black skimmer C
Rynchops niger
- Characteristics:
Lower bill longer; white belly; red legs
- Range:
U.S. coasts, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico
- Size:
42-50in (1.25m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Estuaries, beaches, shell bars
- Fun Fact:
Skims jaw on water surface to feed
Laughing gull C
Leucophaeus atricilla
- Characteristics:
Orange bill, gray body
- Range:
Atlantic coast of U.S., Gulf of Mexico to South America
- Size:
47in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Frequents beaches, marshes, landfills
- Fun Fact:
Has a loud characteristic laughing-like call
Least tern C
Sternula antillarum
- Characteristics:
White head and forked tail; orange bills with black tips
- Range:
Atlantic coast of U.S.
- Size:
20in (51cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Estuaries, beaches and sandbars
- Fun Fact:
Shakes water on eggs to cool them
Royal tern C
Thalasseus maximus
- Characteristics:
Orange bill; gray body and black feathers on cap
- Range:
Coasts of U.S., Atlantic coast of Africa
- Size:
53in (1.25m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Estuaries, beaches
- Fun Fact:
Mating pair can find their chick in a crowd
Wading Birds
Black-crowned night heron C
Nycticorax nycticorax
- Characteristics:
Black back; robust, pointed bill
- Range:
North, Central, and South America
- Size:
47in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Salt and fresh wetlands
- Fun Fact:
Will take care of any chick
Yellow-crowned night heron C
Nyctanassa violacea
- Characteristics:
White stripe behind eyes; yellow on crown
- Range:
Southeast, Central to northern South America
- Size:
45in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Wetlands
- Fun Fact:
Forages 15ft from other birds
Green heron C
Butorides virescens
- Characteristics:
Dark green back, gray wings
- Range:
U.S. coasts, Central America to northern South America
- Size:
27in (69cm) wingspan
- Habitat:
Swamps, marshes, reservoirs
- Fun Fact:
Creates lures to entice small fish
Great blue heron C
Ardea herodias
- Characteristics:
Blue-gray, black stripe over eye
- Range:
North and Central America to the northern tip of South America
- Size:
80in (2m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Salt and fresh marsh
- Fun Fact:
Weighs 5-6 pounds
Little Blue heron C
Egretta caerulea
- Characteristics:
Body with purple tint; yellow eyes, black tip on bill
- Range:
Southeast interior and coast, Central and South America, Caribbean
- Size:
41in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
- Fun Fact:
“teeth” on toe to groom their plumage
Tricolored heron C
Egretta tricolor
- Characteristics:
Dark with red tint, white belly; long yellow legs
- Range:
Atlantic coast of the U.S., Central to South America, Caribbean
- Size:
37in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Coastline habitats
- Fun Fact:
Will use foot to stir up sediment
Great egret C
Casmerodius albus
- Characteristics:
White plumage, orange bill
- Range:
Southeastern U.S., southern Canada
- Size:
57in (1.5m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Fresh and salt marsh
- Fun Fact:
Mainly eats fish, but may eat amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals
Snowy egret C
Egretta thula
- Characteristics:
Bright white plumage with black legs and yellow feet
- Range:
North America and most of South America
- Size:
39in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
- Fun Fact:
Competes for breeding areas through loud noise displays
Roseate spoonbill C
Ajaja ajaja
- Characteristics:
Pink body, white head; spoon-shaped bill; long pink legs
- Range:
SC to FL, Gulf of Mexico, tropics in Central and South America
- Size:
50in (1.25m) wingspan
- Habitat:
- Fun Fact:
Sweeps bill back and forth to feed
White ibis C
Eudocimus albus
- Characteristics:
Curved red bill; red legs; black wing tips
- Range:
Southeast U.S., Gulf of Mexico, Central America
- Size:
36in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Salt and fresh marshes; mudflats and grass fields
- Fun Fact:
Nests and feeds in groups
Glossy ibis C
Plegadis falcinellus
- Characteristics:
Brown body; bill curved
- Range:
Atlantic coast of the U.S., Gulf of Mexico, Central and South America, Africa
- Size:
36in (1m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Marshes, swamps, rice fields
- Fun Fact:
Probes soft mud with bill
Wood stork C
Mycteria americana
- Characteristics:
White; black edges on wings and tail; head and neck naked
- Range:
SC to southern South America
- Size:
60in (1.5m) wingspan
- Habitat:
Habitat alteration put them on endangered species list
- Fun Fact:
