Seabirds

Seabirds are birds whose life cycles and foraging primarily depend on the marine environment. They are a diverse group that includes albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters (order Procellariiformes); cormorants, shags, and gannets (order Suliformes); gulls, terns, and auks (order Charadriiformes); and penguins (order Sphenisciformes). Most seabirds feed at sea and return to land or ice to breed, while a few species are pelagic for most of their lives. Penguins are flightless and are highly adapted to swimming, while other seabirds use a range of diving and surface-feeding methods.

Adaptations common to seabirds include specialized salt-excreting glands, waterproof and insulating plumage, and efficient flight or swimming wings. Foraging strategies vary: some surface-seize prey, others dive from the air or water surface, and several species practice kleptoparasitism or long-distance dynamic soaring over windswept seas. Nesting often occurs in colonies on remote coastlines or islands, with many species exhibiting long lifespans and delayed maturity.

Ecology and distribution: seabirds inhabit coastlines and continental shelves worldwide, from polar seas to subtropical zones. They play roles in marine ecosystems as predators and as vectors for nutrients through guano deposition on breeding colonies. Their lifecycles are closely tied to ocean productivity and prey availability, which can be affected by climate change and fishing practices.

Conservation: many seabird species face threats such as overfishing reducing prey, bycatch in fisheries, plastic pollution, oil spills, introduced predators on breeding islands, and habitat loss. Conservation efforts focus on protecting nesting sites, regulating fisheries, reducing bycatch, and restoring damaged habitats.