Aussie Sea Birds Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Define “seabirds”

A

birds adapted to marine environment and feed in salt water

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2
Q

Convergent evolution of seabirds is due to

A

similarity of feeding niches

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3
Q

When did they evolve? When did modern ones evolve?

A

Cretaceous| Palaeogene

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4
Q

Adaptation to sea water

A

salt glands - ability to drink seawater

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5
Q

Adaptation to long time without land

A

wind morphology (soaring) - long, narrow, low-set wingswaterproof feathers (plumage)

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6
Q

Describe attributes of surface feeding

A
while flying (storm petrels, noddy terns)while swimming (gulls, shearwaters)
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7
Q

Two types of diving feeding

A
Plunge diving ( boobies, gannets, tropic birds)Pursuit Diving ( cormorants, shearwaters, some albatross)
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8
Q

What is Kleptoparasitism? (firgate birds)

A

“parisitism by theft”| -birds harass other birds so much they vomit food and eat the vomit

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9
Q

How do birds scavenge?

A

By eating insides/extras of already eaten animals that float on the surface or eat young chicks

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10
Q

Describe the diet of seabirds

A

schooling fishlarval/juvenile fishflying fish

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11
Q

What is a main marine competitor of seabirds?

A

larger predatory fish or mammals

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12
Q

Describe attributes of seabird reproduction (mating, nesting, nurturing young)

A
  • mating rituals- colony breeding/nesting on ground- few,large eggs- young usually left to learn to fly
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13
Q

What kind of trophic trend doe the seabirds help set

A

Top down control of fish populations

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14
Q

What is a Pisonia grandis? What is its relationship to seabirds?

A

A type of tropic tree restricted to small islands with large bird populations-Birds use this tree (black noddies top and shearwaters bottom) for “pit stops” or live there and they provide “fertilizer” for the trees (especially for germination and early development)

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15
Q

How do Pisonia disperse seeds?

A

they have thick, sticky seeds that stick onto the feathers of the birds (sometimes too many stick on and kill the bird :[ )

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16
Q

How do Pisonia re-vegetate

A

drops branches that root and grow new trees

17
Q

T/F: One of the main reproductions of Pisonia is from seeding

A

FALSE - rarely happens but important for inter-island dispersal

18
Q

What is guano?

A

Phosphate rock that is great fertilizer that comes form birds pooping constantly on rock

19
Q

Commercail uses for seabirds (4 things)

A

GuanoID fish schoolsTourismFood

20
Q

What problems can seabirds cause (in respect to human activity)

A

lots of trash -> more seagulls -> more turtle and other target hatching decline

21
Q

What causes problems for seabirds?

A

humans and all the shit that we do to the environment