Birds of the Ocean Albatrosses are among the largest of all flying birds, and one species has a wingspan of over 11 feet (3.5m)! These birds soar for long distances over the ocean with little effort. They eat krill, fish, and squid. Unlike most birds, albatrosses have a strong sense of smell!

Albatross

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

4 genera; 21 species

North Pacific and Southern Oceans

Auklets have also been called “sea sparrows.” However, many birds in this family look a bit like penguins with their black and white plumage, short wings, and upright posture. Auklets eat krill, larval fish, and other zooplankton. They nest in large colonies, often with several auklet species together.

Auklet

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

4 species

North Pacific Ocean, especially Bering Sea

Boobies are large seabirds with long pointed wings and bills. They fly high above the ocean, then dive with great speed down into the water below. This helps them to dive deep down to get the fish they eat. A famous booby is the blue-footed, with its bright blue webbed feet.

Booby

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

6 species

tropical and subtropical Pacific and Atlantic

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Birds of the Ocean Cormorants were once called “sea ravens,” but not all birds in this group live on the ocean. Some dive for fish in freshwater lakes. Northern species are mostly black, but southern species are black and white or quite colorful. All cormorants eat fish, and some eat eels and water snakes.

Cormorant

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 genera; 38 species

almost worldwide

Eiders are ducks that live on the ocean. Many seaducks like eiders have special salt glands above their eyes that help them to get rid of the extra salt. Eiders eat crustaceans and mollusks, with mussels being a particular favorite. Some people love to use eiderdown.

Eider

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 species

far North, far South, and temperate North

There is one fulmar that lives in the North, and one that lives in the South. Both fulmars lay a single white egg on a bare cliff. The chick and its parents can all spit a horrible oil at intruders which can actually matt the feathers and kill the attacker! Fulmars feed on a variety of fish.

Fulmar

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

2 species

North Pacific & Atlantic; Southern Ocean

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Birds of the Ocean Gulls are medium to large birds and usually are white or gray and may have black markings. While most gulls will scavenge food when possible, they also eat small fish and crabs. Almost all gulls stay rather close to land, never venturing far out to sea. They are intelligent and use tools.

Gull

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

6 genera; many spp

almost worldwide

The jaeger is the “masked bandit” of the ocean skies. It will pursue and repeatedly attack other birds in the air, forcing them to drop their catch of fish or other prey. However, jaegers also eat lemmings and other small land creatures on the summer tundra; they winter on the open sea.

Jaeger

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 species

North Atlantic, North Pacific, Arctic oceans

Kittiwakes are in the same family as gulls, and look much like them. They have a solid black tip to each wing that helps identify them, and they spend the winter at sea, unlike most gulls. Kittiwakes eat crustaceans and fish and nest on rocky cliffs or even on man-made structures.

Kittiwake

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

2 species

North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans

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Birds of the Ocean Murrelets are unique in their breeding style: some do not form colonies, and they travel far inland to nest, often in forests. Other murrelets do form nesting colonies, but they do not feed their chicks at the nest. Instead, they call them out to sea only a couple days after hatching.

Murrelet

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

2 genera; 7 species

North Pacific Ocean

Noddies prefer the warmer weather of the tropics and subtropics. They eat fish and zooplankton, and they often roost at night on the shore. Some noddies lay a single white egg in a fork of a spindly tree to prevent predation. The chick clings to the branch with its long claws.

Noddy

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 genera; 7 species

tropics and subtropics

Petrels all have distinct long nasal tubes, but otherwise they are a diverse group. Some also have lamellae in their bills, like whales, to filter plankton! Other petrels feed instead on crustaceans, squid, and fish. All petrel species travel long distances to find and catch food.

Petrel

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

about 48 species

almost worldwide; especially Southern Ocean

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Birds of the Ocean Puffins are stubby little ocean birds with brightly colored beaks during the breeding season. The beak then sheds, leaving a smaller and less colorful one in its place. Puffins nest in 3 foot long burrows with a nest inside the end chamber. They eat a mixture of fish and zooplankton.

Puffin

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 species

North Atlantic, North Pacific, Arctic oceans

Scoters are seaducks that are mostly black or dark brown and that dive for mollusks and crustaceans. While some scoters build their nests close to the ocean, others fly inland to raise their young along rivers or lakes in the woodlands or on the tundra. Scoters form large ocean flocks.

Scoter

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

5 species

North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans

Shearwaters are tubenose seabirds related to petrels. They have long wings and are strong fliers. Some species migrate over 14,000 km each year. Shearwaters nest in burrows and hunt for fish and squid, but they also sometimes follow whales and fishing boats to gather up the scraps.

Shearwater

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

4 genera; many spp

mostly worldwide; not tropics

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Birds of the Ocean Skuas are strong fliers that look a bit like dark-colored gulls. They nest in temperate or arctic areas. Skuas eat mostly fish during their winters at sea, but during the breeding season they eat lemmings, other birds’ eggs and chicks, and even adult birds up to the size of a gull!

Skua

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

4 species

mostly worldwide

Terns are generally medium to large birds with white or gray plumage. They usually have forked tails and long tapering wings. Their bodies are streamlined for long distance flight, and the Arctic Tern has the longest migration of all birds - over 22,000 km! Not all terns are ocean birds.

Tern

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

12 genera; many spp

worldwide

Tropicbirds are white with various black markings on their head, back, and wings. Their most distinctive feature is their long central tail feathers, which can double their body length! Tropicbirds are poor swimmers, but their favorite foods are flying fish and squid.

Tropicbird

Taxonomy:

Distribution:

3 species

tropics and subtropics

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Birds of the Ocean 1 Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

_____ albatross

A. a seaduck with salt glands above its eyes

_____ auklet

B. once called “sea sparrows”

_____ booby

C. fish divers that also eat eels and water snakes

_____ cormorant

D. very large birds with a strong sense of smell

_____ eider

E. fish eaters that spit dangerous oil at intruders

_____ fulmar

F. large seabird, some with bright blue feet

Find the six birds above in the puzzle, then use the letters between the words to answer the question.

Q:

Do blue-footed boobies lay bright blue eggs, too?

B

B

O

O

B

Y

L

U

F

A

E

F

O

A

O

C

T

U

E

D

B

L

O

O

O

K

L

B

I

B

E

R

S

L

L

M

A

A

Y

M

T

E

W

O

A

T

O

O

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

R

T

T

H

R

R

E

R

__ __ __

E

P

A

L

E

O

B

A

E

I

D

E

R

S

L

N

U

E

E

G

G

S

S

T

www.HomeEducationResources.com

A: __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ .

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __

Birds of the Ocean 1

KEY

Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

D.

albatross

A. a seaduck with salt glands above its eyes

B.

auklet

B. once called “sea sparrows”

F.

booby

C. fish divers that also eat eels and water snakes

C.

cormorant

D. very large birds with a strong sense of smell

A.

eider

E. fish eaters that spit dangerous oil at intruders

E.

fulmar

F. large seabird, some with bright blue feet

Find the six birds above in the puzzle, then use the letters between the words to answer the question.

Q:

Do blue-footed boobies lay bright blue eggs, too?

B

B

O

O

B

Y

L

U

F

A

E

F

O

A

O

C

T

U

E

D

B

L

O

O

O

K

L

B

I

B

E

R

BLUE-FOOTED BOOBIES LAY

S

L

L

M

A

A

Y

M

TWO OR THREE PALE BLUE

T

E

W

O

A

T

O

O

EGGS.

R

T

T

H

R

R

E

R

(Take all the letters except those

E

P

A

L

E

O

B

A

in the circled words, in order, left

E

I

D

E

R

S

L

N

U

E

E

G

G

S

S

T

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A:

to right, and you end up with the message above.)

Birds of the Ocean 2 Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

_____ gull

A. crustacean eaters with solid black wing tips

_____ jaeger

B. diverse group of seabirds with long nasal tubes

_____ kittiwake

C. intelligent scavengers that stay close to land

_____ murrelet

D. seabirds with the most unique breeding styles

_____ noddy

E. the “masked bandit” of the ocean skies

_____ petrel

F. warm-weather seabirds that roost on shore

Write the answers, then use the selected letters to answer the question at the bottom.

1. Which bird above might have a 3-dayold chick swimming in the water?

___ ___ ___ R ___ ___ ___ T

2. What is one place that noddies live?

___ ___ 0 ___ ___ ___ S

4

5

3

13

10

3. What is something that gulls will do whenever they can?

2

8

S ___ ___ V ___ ___ ___ ___ 7

4 . What is a one-word name for ALL the six animals in the list above?

12

___ ___ A ___ ___ ___ ___ S 9

Q:

A:

1

11

What bird once numbered over one-half million on its island home in the western Atlantic ocean, but was nearly wiped out by the introduction of cats, rats, dogs, and pigs (less than 200 left in 1996)?

the ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 8

9

10

11

12

13

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6

Birds of the Ocean 2

KEY

Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

C.

gull

A. crustacean eaters with solid black wing tips

E.

jaeger

B. diverse group of seabirds with long nasal tubes

A.

kittiwake

C. intelligent scavengers that stay close to land

D.

murrelet

D. seabirds with the most unique breeding styles

F.

noddy

E. the “masked bandit” of the ocean skies

B.

petrel

F. warm-weather seabirds that roost on shore

Write the answers, then use the selected letters to answer the question at the bottom.

1. Which bird above might have a 3-dayold chick swimming in the water?

MURRELET

2. What is one place that noddies live?

TROPICS

3. What is something that gulls will do whenever they can?

SCAVENGE

4 . What is a one-word name for ALL the six animals in the list above?

SEABIRDS

Q:

A:

What bird once numbered over one-half million on its island home in the western Atlantic ocean, but was nearly wiped out by the introduction of cats, rats, dogs, and pigs (less than 200 left in 1996)?

the BERMUDA PETREL

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Birds of the Ocean 3 Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

_____ puffin

A. strong fliers that eat other birds and lemmings

_____ scoter

B. long distance fliers with a tubenose

_____ shearwater

C. poor swimmers with long central tail feathers

_____ skua

D. black or dark brown seaducks that form flocks

_____ tern

E. forked-tail birds with the longest migration

_____ tropicbird

F. stubby birds with bright beaks while breeding

Use your Birds of the Ocean information to complete the puzzle. 1

2

3

4 5 6

7 8

9

10

ACROSS

DOWN

1. tropicbirds have long central tail __________

2. skuas will eat other birds’ ________

6. skuas can eat birds up to the size of a _____

3. shearwaters are ___________ seabirds

8. something shearwaters follow for scraps

4. tropicbirds love flying fish and _________

9. terns have long ____________ wings

5. scoters form large ocean ___________

10. scoters eat mollusks and _______________

7. the ________ tern has the longest migration

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Birds of the Ocean 3

KEY

Read about the 6 types of Birds of the Ocean listed below, then match them to their descriptions.

F.

puffin

A. strong fliers that eat other birds and lemmings

D.

scoter

B. long distance fliers with a tubenose

B.

shearwater

C. poor swimmers with long central tail feathers

A.

skua

D. black or dark brown seaducks that form flocks

E.

tern

E. forked-tail birds with the longest migration

C.

tropicbird

F. stubby birds with bright beaks while breeding

Use your Birds of the Ocean information to complete the puzzle.

F

E

A

H

E

R

S

G

U

G

B

S

E

I

O

N

D

C

A R

B

C T

T

O

Q G

A

T

U

F L

L

K

S

S

S

A

P

E

R

I

N

G

R

U

S

T

A

C

E

I C

A

N

S

ACROSS

DOWN

1. tropicbirds have long central tail feathers

2. skuas will eat other birds’ eggs

6. skuas can eat birds up to the size of a gull

3. shearwaters are tubenose seabirds

8. something shearwaters follow for scraps

4. tropicbirds love flying fish and squid

boats 9. terns have long tapering wings

5. scoters form large ocean flocks 7. the Arctic tern has the longest migration

10. scoters eat mollusks and crustaceans www.HomeEducationResources.com

Who Am I ? Answer the riddles with words from the box below. Not all the words will be used.

albatross

cormorant

gull

auklet

eider

jaeger

booby

fulmar

kittiwake

1. I spend the summer on the tundra eating lemmings and raising my chicks. In the winter, I live out at sea, chasing other birds until they drop their fish for me to catch. Who am I?

2. I live in the north and my feathers are almost totally black. I dive underwater for fish, eels, and even snakes. Some of my cousins live on lakes instead of oceans. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

3. I am black and white like a penguin, but I am smaller. I get together with my friends and my cousins in huge flocks and we all hunt for krill and zooplankton. Who am I?

4. I am a black and white seaduck. I eat mollusks and crustaceans, and I love mussels the best. Some people use my soft feathers in their sleeping bags or comforters. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

5. I have long pointed wings and a long pointed bill, too. I fly high over the ocean, then dive down deep to catch my fish. Some of my cousins have blue webbed feet. Who am I?

6. I am mostly white and gray, but I have black tips to my wings. Some people say I look just like a gull, but I spend my winters at sea. I eat some crustaceans, too. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

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Who Am I ?

KEY

Answer the riddles with words from the box below. Not all the words will be used.

albatross

cormorant

gull

auklet

eider

jaeger

booby

fulmar

kittiwake

1. I spend the summer on the tundra eating lemmings and raising my chicks. In the winter, I live out at sea, chasing other birds until they drop their fish for me to catch. Who am I?

2. I live in the north and my feathers are almost totally black. I dive underwater for fish, eels, and even snakes. Some of my cousins live on lakes instead of oceans. Who am I?

jaeger

cormorant

3. I am black and white like a penguin, but I am smaller. I get together with my friends and my cousins in huge flocks and we all hunt for krill and zooplankton. Who am I?

4. I am a black and white seaduck. I eat mollusks and crustaceans, and I love mussels the best. Some people use my soft feathers in their sleeping bags or comforters. Who am I?

auklet

eider

5. I have long pointed wings and a long pointed bill, too. I fly high over the ocean, then dive down deep to catch my fish. Some of my cousins have blue webbed feet. Who am I?

6. I am mostly white and gray, but I have black tips to my wings. Some people say I look just like a gull, but I spend my winters at sea. I eat some crustaceans, too. Who am I?

booby

kittiwake www.HomeEducationResources.com

Who Am I ? Answer the riddles with words from the box below. Not all the words will be used.

murrelet

puffin

skua

noddy

scoter

tern

petrel

shearwater

tropicbird

1. I don’t like the cold, so I stay where it is warm all year. I balance my egg in a skinny tree fork and my chick has to hang on with its extra-long claws. Who am I?

2. I don’t like the cold either. I also cannot swim very well, but I just love to catch flying fish in midair. Most people think my long tail feathers are beautiful. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

3. I am a seabird with a tubenose. I fly long distances every year to go to my nesting place where I dig a burrow. You might see me following your boat if you’re fishing. Who am I?

4. I also have a tubenose bill, and some of my cousins can even strain out plankton with their bills! I can travel far, too, and I go a long way to catch my fish and squid dinner. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

5. I look a lot like a gull with darker feathers. Usually I eat fish, but I get so hungry that I eat the eggs and chicks of other birds, and even the big birds themselves! Who am I?

6. I am a black duck that loves the ocean. The only time I leave it is to build my nest in a forest or just flat on the tundra. I love company; all my friends and I flock together. Who am I?

____________________________

____________________________

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Who Am I ?

KEY

Answer the riddles with words from the box below. Not all the words will be used.

murrelet

puffin

skua

noddy

scoter

tern

petrel

shearwater

tropicbird

1. I don’t like the cold, so I stay where it is warm all year. I balance my egg in a skinny tree fork and my chick has to hang on with its extra-long claws. Who am I?

2. I don’t like the cold either. I also cannot swim very well, but I just love to catch flying fish in midair. Most people think my long tail feathers are beautiful. Who am I?

noddy

tropicbird

3. I am a seabird with a tubenose. I fly long distances every year to go to my nesting place where I dig a burrow. You might see me following your boat if you’re fishing. Who am I?

4. I also have a tubenose bill, and some of my cousins can even strain out plankton with their bills! I can travel far, too, and I go a long way to catch my fish and squid dinner. Who am I?

shearwater

petrel

5. I look a lot like a gull with darker feathers. Usually I eat fish, but I get so hungry that I eat the eggs and chicks of other birds, and even the big birds themselves! Who am I?

6. I am a black duck that loves the ocean. The only time I leave it is to build my nest in a forest or just flat on the tundra. I love company; all my friends and I flock together. Who am I?

skua

scoter www.HomeEducationResources.com

Seabird Mates Use a different color crayon or pencil for each line to match seabird mates.

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Auk Talk Use these /aw/ words to complete the sentences.

call

moth

walk

hawk

crawl

lost

thought

raw

caught

stalk

small

salt

1. Auks are ________________ seabirds. 2. Will an auk eat a butterfly or a ______________? 3. That chick is _____________. It is not with its mom. 4. I hope that ______________ will not eat the chick! 5. No, it has just __________________ a mouse instead. 6. The mom auk will ________________ to her chick. 7. I _______________ it could not ______________ yet. 8. Chicks do not ______________ like human babies. 9. They eat ____________ fish from their moms. 10. The moms catch the fish in the ______________ water. 11. Sometimes other animals _______________ the moms.

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Between Albatrosses and Noddies Circle the word in each row that would NOT be found between the guide words.

auklet --- eider 1. baboon evening 2. earlier

beauty

3. either

dynamite

4. career

chance

petrel --- scoter

dovetail careful

azure attempt

coconut friendly

baby

doughnut

jaeger --- noddy

1. raced

pieces

skipped

1. jumping

2. quiet

papyrus

salmon

2. inside

moldy

kangaroo

smelly

3. novel

noble

journeys

3. sauce

pockets

4. open

scavenge

puny

4. January

noted

lions

marvelous

jackrabbit

Pick one word from the box on the right to fit between each set of guide words.

cement _________________ corn

seabird

plankton

space ______________ speckled

Pacific

cormorant

savory _______________ second

species

whales

welcome ______________ wheel

webbed

crustacean

oyster ________________ pepper

squid

places ________________ please violet ___________________ west creepy ________________ dollar spell ___________________ swing www.HomeEducationResources.com

Between Albatrosses and Noddies KEY Circle the word in each row that would NOT be found between the guide words.

auklet --- eider 1. baboon evening 2. earlier

beauty

3. either

dynamite

4. career

chance

petrel --- scoter

dovetail careful friendly

skipped

1. jumping

2. quiet

papyrus

salmon

2. inside

moldy

3. novel

noble

smelly

4. open

scavenge

puny

baby

doughnut

jaeger --- noddy

pieces pockets

attempt

coconut

1. raced 3. sauce

azure

noted

4. January

lions

marvelous kangaroo

journeys jackrabbit

Pick one word from the box on the right to fit between each set of guide words.

cement

cormorant

corn

seabird

plankton

space

species

speckled

Pacific

cormorant

savory

seabird

second

species

whales

webbed

crustacean

welcome oyster

Pacific

places

webbed

creepy

wheel

pepper

plankton

violet

spell

whales

please west

crustacean

squid

squid

dollar

swing www.HomeEducationResources.com

JAEGER

JAEGER

JAEGER

JAEGER

JAEGER

JAEGER

tern

tern

gull

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PrintableKidStuff.com

gull

kittiwake

kittiwake

albatross

auklet

murrelet

eider

scoter

booby

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PrintableKidStuff.com

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

jaeger nought

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PrintableKidStuff.com

JAEGER nought game Print the third page back-to-back with the first two pages. Make at least 3 copies, for a 54-card deck. If possible, print on card stock and laminate or cover with clear contact paper for durability. Shuffle and place the deck face-down between players. Game Rules: 1. On each turn, players take the top card off the deck. 2. When a player draws a JAEGER card, they may “jaeger” 1 other player - taking up to 1 each of these three species from that player: gull, tern, kittiwake. 3. Cards that are not the above 3 species are “safe” they may never be jaegered (taken). 4. The winner is the player with the most bird cards left once the deck has been used up. 5. To break a tie, place 5 jaeger cards and 5 of any other cards in a pile and shuffle. Place face-down and have each player draw 3 cards, one at a time in turn. The player with the most jaegers wins. Repeat, if necessary, to break ties.

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