New England Seabirds

This site is dedicated to the Wilson's Storm-petrel.


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Seabird Characteristics

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Plumage
Black, White and Brown
Seabirds are not very colorful. Most plumages are combinations of black, white and brown. Most seabirds do not exhibit a difference in plumage between males and females. Seaducks, phlaropes and frigatebirds are exceptions.

Most seabirds have white underparts. When viewed from below by a predator like a shark, the body is back lighted and blends in with the light.

There are some notable exceptions including all dark shearwaters, Sooty, Light-mantled Sooty and Black-footed Albatross		 Razorbill photographed on Machias Seal Island by Emmalee Tarry
. Some seabirds exhibit colorful feathers or body parts during breeding.
Atlantic Puffin has colorful bill in breeding plumage The Atlantic Puffin has a colorful bill in breeding plumage. The colored part sloughs off after breeding leaving and smaller dull bill.

Rhinoceros Auklet also has a colorful bill. Some penguins and auklets have colorful feathers on their heads.
Adult Gannets have golden heads as do the Stellar's and Galapagos Albatrosses.
Water Intake
Salt Glands
One of the big problems man has at sea is his inability to drink seawater because of the high salt content. Seabirds do not drink seawater, but rather get water from their food and ingest water with their food and accidentally. They must have a mechanism to remove the excess salt. Many seabirds have special salt excreting glands on the top of their heads. The tubenoses have these glands drain through separate tubes. Other seabirds the glands drain through the nostrils.
Birds That Require Fresh Water
Gulls do not have salt excreting glands and must drink fresh water. I noticed this while standing on the cliffs at Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland. The kittiwakes nesting on the cliffs, streamed through a wash to drink from a small lake.

Small fresh water ponds on Skommer Island attract gulls which then prey on the Manx Shearwaters nesting on the island.
Bird List| Shearwaters | Storm-petrels | Jaegers | Northern Gannet | Alcids | Fulmar | Sabine Gull | Seabird Characteristics Page 1

Page author: Emmalee Tarry