Little Penguins are mainly found on the coastlines of Southern Australia and New Zealand. They have several common names. They are referred to as Fairy Penguins in Australia because of their tiny size. They are also called Little Blue penguins because of their slate blue plumage.
The scientific name of this bird is Eudyptula minor.
The grey partridge is a game bird of the Pheasant family. This Partridge is also popular worldwide as English Partridge. They are quite smaller than both Pheasants and Red legged partridges, but are bigger than the Quails. These birds are originally of temperate step grasslands. Grey partridge is strictly a ground bird and are not found in pear trees. They are been introduced widely in North America.
Grey partridge is scientifically known as Perdix perdix.
Harlequin Duck is a small sea duck. They belong to the family of Anatidae, Ducks and Geese. It is also known as the sea mouse. The term Harlequin means a character in Italian comedies who wears a black mask and a brightly colored costume, similar to these ducks.
The scientific name of Harlequin Duck is Histrionicus histrionicus.
There are some alternative names of these elegant ducks.
The Black-footed Albatross is a seabird belonging to the family “Diomedeidae”. It is resident of the North Pacific, it is one of the three albatross species that are found in the isolated tropical islands of northern hemisphere.
The scientific name for this species of birds is “Phoebastria nigripes”.
Magnificent Frigate Birds are large dark colored birds. They have reputation for stealing foods from other sea birds. These birds are believed to be closely related to Pelicans. They are large species of sea birds having large wing span.
The scientific name of Magnificent Frigate Bird is Fregata magnificens.
The Magnificent Frigate Bird has a host of other names.
Greylag Goose is an Old World Goose species belonging to the Anser genus. The name is spelled as Graylag Goose in the US. The species was known as the “Wild Goose” or “Anser ferus” during the pre-Linnean times. It is the only wild Goose species that can be seen throughout the year in the United States. The Greylag Goose is not generally kept as pet.
The scientific name for this bird is Anser anser.
There three sub-species of this species:
Barnacle Goose, belonging to the duck family, has similarity to the Canada goose. It is a water bird that belongs to the family of Anatidae. They are not huge instead they are medium sized. They have black plumage and have very attractive looks. People from various countries, flock to areas where they migrate during winters to view these spectacular birds.
The scientific name of Barnacle Goose is Branta leucopsis.
The Northern Shovelor is a well known and widespread duck. These elegant ducks are also popular as Shovelor and are mainly seen in the northern areas of Asia as well as Europe. Sometimes hunters refer to these species as the “spoony”. They are being named so because of their large spoon shaped bill. This is the only species to which the AEWA (Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds) applies.
Northern Shoveler is scientificalle known as Anas Clypeata.
The Rock Ptarmigan is a chicken-shaped game bird of the Arctic. Belonging to the grouse family, this bird is known to be a ground dweller acquiring different plumages. It is bird suited for the cold regions such as Alaska and Greenland. Widely known as a circumpolar due to its habitat, these birds are considered to be the ideal inhabitants for tundra region.
The scientific name for Rock Ptarmigan is Lagopus muta.
The Short-tailed Albatross, also known as the Steller’s Albatross, is a seabird species native to the North Pacific Ocean. This bird is related to other North Pacific Albatross species, but its behaviors and morphology resembles those of the Southern Ocean Albatrosses. Peter Simon Pallas, the German naturalist, described the Short-tailed Albatross from the skins collected by fellow German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller. The species had become near extinct due to the feather trade. But, their populations are reviving gradually with proper protection.
The scientific name for this bird species is Phoebastria albatrus.
These medium sized Albatrosses have an attractive appearance:
Size: Adult birds of this species grow between 33 inches and 37 inches (84 cm and 94 cm) in length.
Wingspan: They have a wingspan of 85 inches to 91 inches (215 cm to 230 cm).
Weight: Their body weight ranges from 4.3 kg to 8.5 kg (9.5 lb to 19 lb).
Plumage: The plumage of the adult Short-tailed Albatrosses is white. They have black flight feathers, a number of coverts and black terminal bars on their tails. Juvenile birds are brown in color. Their feathers whiten as they grow up.
Bill: They have large pink bills. The bills of the older birds have a blue tip.
Picture 1 - Short-tailed Albatross
Head: Their crowns and napes are yellowish in color.
Body: The chests and underbellies of these birds are white.
Feet: They have a pair of yellow feet.
This seabird species was once widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean near Japan and Taiwan. At present, this species nests on Torishima and Minami-kojima in Senkaku Islands, Japan. They are also found along the coasts of eastern Russia, China, South Korea, Alaska and the northwestern parts of the Hawaiian Islands as well as the western coasts of the United States.
This pelagic species mainly inhabits open oceans. They build their nests in bare grounds of islands. The locations of their nests are surrounded by medium sized to high cliffs.
The diet of these carnivorous seabirds mainly consists of Squids. But they may also eat crustaceans, shrimps and floating fish eggs. Like other seabirds, they also pick up offal from fishing boats.
Picture 2 – Short-tailed Albatross Image
Find out about their behavior patterns:
Large carnivorous fishes such as Whales and Tiger sharks are known to prey on them.
Their adaptive features help them to survive in their natural habitat.
The Albatrosses of this species are powerful fliers. Their long narrow wings help them to fly long distances, using the wind’s energy. They can glide on air currents and stay aloft without flapping their wings for long periods of time.
Picture 3 - Short-tailed Albatross Flying
The Albatrosses of this species arrive at their colonial nesting sites during mid October.
They become reproductively mature at 4 years of age. But these seabirds do not breed before they become 7 to 8 years old. The Short-tailed Albatross build their nests using grass and leaves. The females lay one egg during each breeding season. Both the males and the females incubate the eggs in alternate shifts. The adult birds of a pair find food for each other during the incubation period which lasts for around 65 days.
The Short-tailed Albatross chicks hatch between the months of January and February. The young birds are fed and taken care of by both parents. They start flying (fledge) 4 to 5 months after they hatch, during May-June. The young birds no longer live with their parents once they learn to fly.
These birds have a very long lifespan. They generally live for 20 to 45 years in the wild.
Adult birds migrate to the nesting sites every year during the breeding season. They remain in the islands until their chicks are properly fledged. Then they return to the oceans and remain there until the next breeding season. But young birds do not migrate to lands before they become 5 to 6 years old.
Short-tailed Albatross is listed in the “Vulnerable” category by the IUCN. They were hunted in large numbers for their feathers in a recent past. This almost made the species extinct. At present, this species is protected by various laws in all the countries they are found. Various wildlife conservation organizations are taking necessary measures to recover the Short-tailed Albatross populations.
Here are some interesting facts about these Albatrosses:
Here are some images of this seabird.
Picture 4 - Short-tailed Albatross Photo
Picture 5 – Short-tailed Albatross Picture
References:
http://www.arkive.org/short-tailed-albatross/phoebastria-albatrus/image-G23686.html#text=All
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/106003956/0
http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/shorttailalbatross.htm
http://www.wfu.edu/biology/albatross/shorttail/shorttail.htm
