Ever wondered how the sea birds fly days on without getting tired? Or how they quench their thirst or satiate hunger in the vast expanse of nothing but saline water?
These and many other aspects of the life of pelagic birds or sea birds were unravelled for birding enthusiasts by renowned birder Deepu Karuthedath through a webinar on the theme ‘Pelagic Birds of India’ organised by Deccan Birders.
Major portion of the life of pelagic birds is spent in flight, which curiously does not tire them out due to a special wing locking mechanism in their body. After attaining certain altitude, the birds do not need to flap their wings, and lock them, so that the flight does not exhaust them.
Floating objects in the ocean serve as perches for them, which include dead bodies of whales, fish, and also flotsam discarded from human activity. Except for breeding, which they do on isolated islands for protection, the birds rarely approach land.
With sharp sense of smell and sight, the avians survive on fish, squid, and krill from the ocean, while a few species also specialise in thieving from other birds! Sadly, plastic covers recklessly thrown into the sea too are consumed some times, mistaken as food.
Pelagic birds are endowed with a salt gland in their head, which acts as filter for the extremely saline sea water. After filtering, the salt water is ejected, for some birds through beaks and for some others, through special nostrils above the beak.
Mr. Karuthedath, who is a software engineer by profession and birder by passion, delved deep into the native varieties of pelagic birds including storm petrels, shearwaters, boobies, petrels, frigates, tropic birds, skuas and terns and noddies.
