Water Birds - Parts 1
Author: Saronkorn Seuyouyong

Widely distributed throughout the tropical and warm regions of
the world, pelicans are birds of ancient lineage. Large heavy
birds, they are not very adept at getting themselves airborne
but once this is achieved, they are powerful fliers.

The White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus is found in south-east
Europe, Africa and Asia and is typical of most of the species.
Thousands of Brown Pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis nest in
colonies on the Peruvian coast where their guano, or bird
droppings, is collected and used as fertilizer.

Pelicans are superb fishers. Their tactics vary according to
species and where they are fishing. The Brown Pelicans drop out
of the sky onto the fish, catching them in their enormous
pouched bills, which serve as fishing nets. Other species, if
fishing in open water, will sometimes gather together some
distance from the shore and from themselves into a half-circle.
Then, swimming with military precision, they beat the water with
their wings to drive the fish shorewards until then
simultaneously dip their bills into the water to scoop up the
fish, repeating the movement again and again in perfect
synchronization.

Most species of pelican nest on the ground, on island or in
marshland – wherever the fishing is plentiful. Their nests are
roughly put together and the newly hatched chicks are very tiny,
only about 3 inches (75 mm) long and quite helpless. Both
parents tack on the job of feeding the young until the chicks
are strong enough to learn to push their heads into the pouches
of the adults to feed themselves.

The valuable guano of the Brown Pelican provides a sound
economic reason for its continued protection and its population
in most areas is fairly stable. Several of the other species of
pelican, however, notably the White Pelican used to be quite
widespread in Europe but its range has shrunk to a fraction of
what it was a century ago, and the only widespread colonies now
are on the Danube Delta. The reason for this decline is that
White Pelicans are very vulnerable to disturbance-any human
intruders may easily cause a whole colony to desert their nests-
and they are also very susceptible to predators. Another factor,
possibly the most important, is that the available habitat has
declined enormously over the last century; undisturbed marshes
and reedbeds and lakes with suitable supplies of fish have
disappeared all too rapidly. There are three groups of white
swans. The Mute Swan Cygnus olor, which is only found in the Old
World and has a bright orange bill, is the Royal Bird of England
and other countries in northern Europe and was once served at
medieval banquets. The smallest species is known in Europe as
Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus (after the English naturalist
and illustrator), and in North America as the Whistling Swan
(because of the sound made by the wings in flight). The largest
of the swans is the species known in America as the Trumpeter
Swan, and in Europe as the Whooper Swan. As its name suggests,
this species is often vocal in flight.


About The Author: Please visit my blog
http://mortgagerefinancing.name http://medicalhealth.name
http://www.datedire.com