You might mistake an eel for a snake, or think of a whale as a fish.
But no one can mistake a bird for any other kind of animal. Birds are
the only animals that have feathers. And all birds have wings, a bill,
and two legs.
Most people think of birds as flying animals that live on land, in
trees. However, there are
birds that can’t fly, but that can swim as well as a fish! There are
birds that soar above water, thousands of miles from any land. There are
even birds that sleep on the sea, and drink seawater! These are all sea
birds.
No birds actually live at sea all the time. But there are birds that
spend a great deal of time in the water. And there are other birds that
spend most of their lives flying above the water. These birds are as
much a part of the life of the sea as a shark or a hawksbill turtle.
Sea birds, like all birds, lay eggs that have hard shells. Such eggs
must be laid on land. So at times, perhaps once every year or two, all
sea birds go onto land to mate and lay their eggs. But for many, this is
the only time they ever visit the land.
sooty albatross
Wings over the water
Far out over the southern sea, thousands of miles from the nearest land, a great, graceful bird soars in the sky. The bird is a wandering albatross buh traws). It has the longest wings of any bird…
Wings under the water
We think of birds as creatures of the air. So it’s always a little surprising to learn that some birds can’t fly. But have you ever heard of a bird that can swim like a fish and stay underwater for…
