Birds of the high seas

Birds of the high seas Meet the remarkable birds of the open ocean.

Key points

• Among sea birds, the Arctic Tern deserves the gold medal for the longest flight.
• Considered the lord of the air, it has the largest wingspan (12 feet) and is so aerodynamic that it can fly without flapping non-stop for two whole days!
• Sea birds that spend days together in the air carry out all their functions – feeding and sleeping – on the wing.
• Yet another difficulty is flying in the face of the sun above and the harsh glare from the ocean beneath.
• Do you know that there are birds that spend almost all their lives flying over the vast seas?

Do you know that there are birds that spend almost all their lives flying over the vast seas? Known as pelagic birds, they enjoy the largest habitat – the ocean – that provides plenty of food but little space for breeding. So they nest on islands or rocky cliffs.

As well as the fish they eat, is highly saline, the seawater. So how do the gulls, terns, petrels, albatrosses, puffins circumvent this difficulty? Salt glands connected to their nostrils support them secure rid of the excess salt. Those birds that do not have salt-exuding glands manage to excrete the salt in their urea-rich faeces.

Sea birds that spend days together in the air carry out all their functions – feeding and sleeping – on the wing. They sleep with half their brain awake or catch short power naps. A brown-headed gull Photo Credit: Prince Frederick.

Yet another difficulty is flying in the face of the sun above and the harsh glare from the ocean beneath. Nature has taken care of this too. They have special inbuilt 'sun glares': a red oil secreted in their retina filters off much of the glare.

Pelagic birds usually live for a long time, compared to other birds. A 71-year-old albatross named Wisdom returned to an island called Midway in the Pacific Ocean to lay her egg. Even at 71, Wisdom was in her fit and in her prime.

Unfortunately, plastic pollution is taking a toll on these beautiful birds. The plastic disintegrates into microplastic fibres. It are consumed by fish that are, in turn, are eaten by the pelagic birds. Don't you think polluting the oceans has to be halted so that these wonderful birds continue to fly high?

Among sea birds, the Arctic Tern deserves the gold medal for the longest flight. It migrates from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back again every year, covering more than 35, 000 km.

In practice, the Albatross deserves a special mention. Considered the lord of the air, it has the largest wingspan (12 feet) and is so aerodynamic that it can fly without flapping non-stop for two whole days!

As it does not have water-repelling glands, the frigate bird picks up small fish from the water's surface without letting its wings obtain wet. But it additionally uses the strategy of teasing the other seabirds by pulling their legs and tails. The harassed birds regurgitate their food. It is conveniently caught and swallowed by the frigate.

Taken together, the developments around birds of the high seas point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.