1. Wetland Birds Move Over Ducks, Geese, and Swans Acknowledgement: Danny Hwang

2. Origin of Birds  Believed to have evolved from small theropod dinosaurs (Velociraptor) –Structurally  Both have 3 digits  Shoulder sockets similar –Behavior  Incubated Nests  Archaeopteryx –Earliest Bird. –Transitional species from dinosaurs to birds. –Beak with sharp teeth. –Lack of keel.

3. Modern Bird Features  Power of Flight –Keel present / Large Breast Muscle –Hollow Bones / Mass Distribution –Feathers  Beak with no teeth  Single bone in middle ear.  Four-Chambered Heart  Internal fertilization (lay eggs)

4. Bird Taxonomy  Kingdom: Animalia  Phylum: Chordata  Subphylum: Vertebrata  Class: Aves ?  Superorders: Paleognathae Neognathae Neognathae

5. Superorder: Neognathae Orders:  WATERFOWL –Anseriformes – Ducks, Geese, Swans  NON- WATERFOWL –Gruiformes – Cranes –Rallidae – Rails, Coots. –Podicipediformes – Grebes –Ciconiiformes – Herons –Coraciiformes - Kingfishers –Gaviiformes – Loons –Charadriiformes - Shorebirds –Falconiformes – Birds of Prey –Passeriformes – Songbirds

6. Wetland Use by Birds  Wetlands are important bird habitats –Breeding –Drinking Water –Feeding –Shelter –Social Interactions

7. What is a wetland?  Area of land saturated with water for all or varying times of the year.

8. Types of Wetlands  Marshes –Tidal –Non-Tidal  Wet Meadows  Prairie Potholes  Vernal Pools  Playa Lakes

9. Types of Wetlands  Swamps –Forested Swamps  Bottomland Hardwoods –Shrub Swamps  Mangrove Swamps

10. Types of Wetlands  Bogs –Northern Bogs  Acidic and precipitation- dependent.

11. Wetland-Dependent Birds  Cranes  Grebes  Herons  Kingfishers  Loons  Shorebirds  Birds of Prey  Songbirds

12. Cranes  Order: Gruiformes –Sandhill Crane

13. Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)  Large, long-legged and long- necked birds.  Fly with necks straight.  Height: 4 ft.  Weight: 5-8 lbs  Wing Span: Up to 6 ft.  Breed in marshes and bogs around Canada, Alaska, Siberia, U.S.  Forage in shallow waters

14. Rails  Order: Rallidae –King Rail –American Coot

15. King Rail (Rallus elegans)  Largest North American Rail.  Permanent residents along the southeastern coasts.  Migrate to southern U.S. and Mexico.  Breed in marshes of eastern North America.  The nest is a raised platform built with marsh vegetation and covered by a canopy.  Forage in shallow water near cover and mainly eat aquatic insects and crustaceans.

16. American Coot (Fulica americana)  Scalloped toes rather than webbed.  Breed in Marshes  Nests are typically in tall reeds.  Can dive for food but can also forage on land.  Adults mostly consume "pond scum".  Use a great deal of effort to become airborne, pedaling across the water with their feet before lifting off.  The way in which their heads bob when they walk or swim has earned them the name "mud hen".

17. Grebes  Order: Podicipediformes –Pied-Billed Grebe

18. Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)  Size: Small to Medium-Large.  Feet placed far back on the body.  Narrow wings and unusual plumage  Most widespread of the North American Grebes.  Found on remote ponds, marshes, and sluggish streams.  The only grebe to not show a white wing patch during flight.  Breeds across Canada, U.S. and South America.  Rare on salt water.  Eats fish, amphibians, and insects.

19. Herons  Order: Ciconiiformes –Great Blue Heron –Boat-Billed Heron –Cattle Egret

20. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)  Height: 4 ft.  Wingspan: 7 ft.  Weight: 6 lbs.  GBH is the largest North American heron.  Herons fly with their necks retracted (S-shape).  Breeds in trees close to lakes and wetlands.  It feeds in shallow water or at the water's edge and spears fish and amphibians with its long, sharp bill.

21. Boat-Billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)  An atypical member of the heron family.  Nocturnal Bird.  Adult has a black crown, long crest and upper back.  The face, throat and breast are white, and the lower underparts are rufous with black flanks.  The wings and lower back are pale grey. The massive broad scoop-like bill, which gives rise to this species' name, is mainly black.  Feeds on Fish, Crustaceans, Insects.  Lives in mangrove swamps in Mexico/South America.

22. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)  Small white heron.  Length: 1.7 ft  Weight: 1.3 lbs  Breeds in large wetlands of warm climate countries.  Nests in colonies.  Found on dry, grassy habitats, unlike other herons  Feed on insects  Special relationship with ruminants

23. Kingfishers  Order: Coraciiformes –Belted Kingfisher

24. Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)  Large heads, long bill, short stubby legs.  Breeds near inland bodies of water or along coasts.  Feed on Fish, Amphibians, Arthropods, small mammals, lizards and berries.  Beat their prey to death.  Migrates south to the Southern U.S., Mexico, South America.  Population levels declining probably due to habitat loss.

25. Loons  Order: Gaviiformes –Common Loon –Loon vocalizations Loon vocalizationsLoon vocalizations

26. Common Loon (Gavia immer)  Similar to a duck in appearance, yet unrelated.  Length: Up to 3 ft.  Wingspan: Up to 5 ft.  Weight: Average (9lbs)  Getting airborne requires water skimming.  Breed in inland freshwater lakes and ponds.  Can live as long as 30 years!  Specialist Fish-eater.  Population affected by acid rain/pollution.  Migrating Common Loons occasionally land on wet highways or parking lots, mistaking them for rivers and lakes.  They become stranded without a considerable amount of open water for a long takeoff. A loon may also get stranded on a pond that is too small

27. Shorebirds  Order: Charadriiformes –Greater Yellowlegs  210 species  Possess sensitive nerve endings at the end of their bills, which enable them to detect prey items hidden in mud or soft soil.  Feed primarily on small invertebrates.  Shorebird Sounds Shorebird Sounds Shorebird Sounds

28. Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca )  Large Shorebird.  Long yellow legs.  Breeds in bogs, marshes in the boreal forest of Canada and Alaska.  Nests on the ground, usually in well-hidden locations near water.  Migrate to both U.S. coasts and south to Central America.  Forages in shallow water, sometimes using their bill to stir up the water.  Feeds on insects and small fish, as well as crustaceans and marine worms.

29. Birds of Prey  Order: Falconiformes –Osprey

30. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)  Medium-large raptor.  Length: 2 ft.  Wingspan: 5-5.5 ft.  Worldwide Distribution.  Closable nostrils.  Talons with backward facing scales.  Specialist-Fish Eater  Breeds by freshwater lakes and sometimes on coastal brackish waters.  Nest is a large heap of sticks in trees. Will delay breeding if no nests are available.  Population negatively affected by pesticides.  Osprey Diving for Fish Osprey Diving for Fish Osprey Diving for Fish  Osprey Catching Fish Osprey Catching Fish Osprey Catching Fish

31. Songbirds  Order: Passeriformes –American Dipper –Common Yellowthroat –Louisiana Waterthrush –Marsh Wren –Red-Winged Blackbird –Swamp Sparrow –Prothonotary Warbler

32. American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)  Stocky Dark Gray Bird; “water ouzel”  Year-round resident in western North America.  Dives and walks along the bottoms of streams to find their prey (Salmon)  Indicator species of good water quality.  Population affected from pollution and increased silt load in streams.  Availability of nest sites (e.g., behind waterfall) may also be a factor.

33. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)  Adults have a black face mask, brown back, yellow throat and white belly.  Breeds in marshy habitats and other wet areas with dense low vegetation.  Feeds on insects.  Population decreasing due to loss of habitat, but still species commonly heard.

34. Louisiana Waterthrush (Seiurus motacilla)  Plain brown back and white below streaked with black.  Breeds in wet woodlands near running water (forested streams).  Nest in a rock crevice or amongst tree roots.  Feeds on insects, molluscs, and crustaceans amongst leaf litter.

35. Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)  Breeds in marshes with tall vegetation (i.e. cattails).  Nest is an oval lump attached to marsh vegetation, entered from the side.  Feeds primarily on insects, but also snails and spiders.  Though still common, populations are slowly declining due to loss of wetland habitats.

36. Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)  Distinctive red shoulder patch.  Feed primarily on seeds, but a ¼ of their diet consists of insects, molluscs and arthropods.  Very Aggressive Defenders.  Prefers marshy habitats, but will nest near any body of water. Cong-a-lee!!

37. Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)  Adults have streaked rusty and black upperparts with a gray breast, light belly and a white throat.  Breed in marshes, including salt marshes.  The bulky nest is attached to marsh vegetation, often with leaves arching over the top.  Has longer legs than other members of its genus, which allows for this songbird to forage in shallow waters.  Has been seen to dabble in the water to capture aquatic invertebrates.

38. Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea)  Olive back with blue-grey wings and tail, yellow underparts.  Breeds in hardwood swamps in southern Canada and the eastern U.S.  Cavity nester.  The preferred foraging habitat is dense, woody streams.  Forage actively in low foliage in wet areas.  Feed mainly on insects and snails.  Declining in numbers due to loss of habitat.  They are also frequently victimized by the dump parasites (Brown-Headed Cowbird).  Named after the officials in the Roman Catholic Church known as the protonotarii, who wore golden robes

39. Effects of Wetland Loss on Birds  Habitat Loss = Population Loss  About one-third of North American bird species use wetlands for food, shelter, and or breeding (Kroodsma, 1979).  About one-half of the 188 animals that are federally designated as endangered or threatened are wetland dependent (Niering, 1988).

40. Efforts to preserve Wetlands  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  Nature Conservancy  National Audubon Society

41. Summary / Conclusions  Birds are fully or partially- dependent on wetlands.  Birds are important to us because: –Ecologically:  Birds fill a niche to maintain the health of our ecosystems –Seed Dispersal / Pollinators –Natural killers of insect and agricultural pests –Recycles nutrients/carbon –Human:  Cultural Enhancements  Cleans up our roads.  They are finger-lickin’ GOOD!

42. Questions?