Mondragon, Brynn (2012) Seabirds (birds that have adapted to live within the marine environment). Research World, Delhi, India. ISBN 9788132331582
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Abstract
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that have adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behavior and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same environmental problems and feeding niches have resulted in similar adaptations. The first seabirds evolved in the Cretaceous period, and modern seabird families emerged in the Paleogene. Evolution In general, seabirds live longer, breed later and have fewer young than other birds do, but they invest a great deal of time in their young. Most species nest in colonies, which can vary in size from a few dozen birds to millions. Many species 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. Seabirds can be highly pelagic, coastal, or in some cases spend a part of the year away from the sea entirely. Seabirds and humans have a long history together they have provided food to hunters, guided fishermen to fish stocks and led sailors to land. Many species are currently threatened by human activities, and conservation efforts are under way. Classification of seabirds There exists no single definition of which groups, families, and species are seabirds, and most definitions are in some way arbitrary. In the words of two seabird scientists, "The one common characteristic that all seabirds share is that they feed in saltwater; but, as seems to be true with any statement in biology, some do not." However, by convention all of the Sphenisciformes and Procellariiformes, all of the Pelecaniformes except the darters, and some of the Charadriiformes (the skuas, gulls, terns, auks and skimmers) are classified as seabirds. The phalaropes are usually included as well, since although they are waders ("shorebirds" in North America), two of the three species are occanic for nine months of the year, crossing the equator to feed pelagically loons and grebes, which nest on lakes but winter at sea, are usually categorized as water birds, not seabirds.
| Item Type: | Book |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | S Agriculture > SF Animal culture |
| Divisions: | Electronic Books |
| Depositing User: | Esam @ Hisham Muhammad |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Jan 2023 03:26 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jan 2023 03:26 |
| URI: | http://odlsystem2.utm.my/id/eprint/3950 |
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