Flight for Survival

Sponsored by Blue Lagoon Island & Vendors from Nassau Dolphin Encounters-Project BEACH Contest Deadline: February28th, 2013 What comes to mind when you Not only does winter effect food sources, location hear the word survival? The does as well. The human population is continually ability to find food or growing and because of this many birds are shelter? Survival is the affected by struggle to remain alive! deforestation and Many birds spend a lot of their pollution. We will take energy on hunting, some even on a look at three different avoiding being hunted. Various birds—ospreys, species have to migrate to The flamingos & pelicans— Bahamas in the winter for found in The Bahamas food. In colder regions of the world, and the different ways food may be buried under snow or they struggle to survive! even under ice! The Brown Pelican: Feathered Star of Flipper! Pete the Pelican was the famous Brown Pelicans may fly in a “V” On islands without predators, feathered star of the movie formation but usually fly in a they often build on the ground Flipper! The Brown Pelican is a single file line, low over the and their nest will consist of very large, stocky bird with a water. They have amazing vision feathers and soil. The choices dark brown and gray body, which enables them to see in nesting have put the white chest and a very long through the water. Unlike any pelican’s eggs and young at gray bill. With a wingspan near other Pelican, they can dive into risk to predators like gulls, 7 feet, they fly up to 30mph! the water from heights of up to skunks and cats. Adults and 50 feet to capture their prey! young alike are continually downward to drain the water threatened by human Pelicans eat a variety of fish, out before swallowing the fish. disturbance and entanglement ranging from herring, mullet, Sometimes gulls will try to with marine debris. and sheepshead and also feed steal fish from the pelicans on shellfish. Using its bill like a pouch. They will even perch on net, it can hold 2-3 times more the pelican’s head and wait fish than its stomach can hold, for just the right moment to with close to 3 gallons of fish grab a fish! This bird can be found around and water!!! A pelican only uses coastal areas with sandy the pouch to scoop up fish, Pelicans may nest in trees, beaches and lagoons, such as not to carry them around. bushes or on the ground. Nests on Andros, Eleuthera, Inagua After capturing their prey and a built in trees will consist of and Bimini. lot of water, they tip their bill sticks, reeds and straws. The West Indian Flamingo: The Pink Giant The West Indian Flamingo is Flamingos are filter feeders, These birds separate their a shy bird with a large curved eating microscopic plants and food from the water or mud bill, long legs and neck, and animals found in ponds and by pumping and straining it a beautiful bright pink colour. mud, mainly salt marsh fly through their bill. Cool facts: They live in remote desert-like larvae (yum!). They also eat flamingos have 19 bones that spots, dry islands and brine shrimp, rich in beta- make up their long neck AND shorelines where salt is made carotene which gives flamingos are the only birds which feed where few other creatures can their vibrant pink feathers. with their bill upside down! survive. (continued…) Marine Education Poster Contest 2013 Dolphin Encounters-Project BEACH The West Indian Flamingo continued... Flamingos are very social birds After eggs hatch, extinction, leaving Flamingos can be found and love to remain in flocks. chicks feed on special fewer than 5,000 mainly on Great Inagua and Their cone-shaped nest is made red-colored 'milk' - birds. It was the are slowly re-inhabiting up of mud, shells, grass and provided by both teamwork of the Acklins, Mayaguana, Crooked pebbles, with a flat top and parents—that is very National Audubon Island, Exumas, Long Island strong base. nutritious. Society and The and Andros. Even though their Bahamas National numbers are impressive, this Nesting on the ground Trust that saved bird is still endangered and puts these birds at risk flamingos and led to protected from hunting or from predators. a healthy, growing capture by The Bahamas However, hunting in population now Wild Bird Act. As the the 1950’s almost estimated at 60,000 national bird of The Bahamas, lead to this species’ individuals! the flamingo needs our proud protection! The Osprey: Fisherman of the Skies! Often called the “fish hawk” or These birds are Ospreys mate for life and Ospreys live “sea eagle”, the osprey is a very skilled hunters make several nests of on average fish-eating bird of prey and with over 80% of sticks, branches, 7-10 years can be found on all islands in their hunts ending in driftwood, kelp but can get the Bahamas. This amazing a catch. An osprey can and seaweed. up to 30 hunter has razor sharp hook- spot a fish from over Females will lay years old! shaped talons with a reversible 130 feet in the air and 3-4 eggs in the largest nest. toe that can swivel backwards dive into the water at a The nests can be found in dead In the 1950’s, to grasp a fish in a death lock. speed over 25mph! trees, tall poles or near ponds. this bird was With a 6-foot wingspan, this Both parents take turns endangered 5-pound lightweight champion protecting and feeding the due to widespread use of is one to be taken seriously! chicks, but if there is too little pesticide called DDT, used to kill food, only the bigger and mosquitoes and other insects. A distinctive eye stripe runs stronger ones survive. DDT made the egg shells of the down the side of its head, birds weak and brittle. To masking the golden eyes and encourage the osprey numbers icy blue ring like the “Face of to grow, DDT was banned and a bandit”! The osprey has an scientists built man-made nests all white under belly and at the top of electricity poles, head which makes it easy to resulting in over 600,000 birds be told apart from its cousins, worldwide today – a true hawks and eagles. conservation success story! Silent Birds: Protect them for our future! The pelican, flamingo, and Entanglement can also sure litter gets in a trash can osprey may all be very severely limit an animal’s and not on the ground is different from each other but ability to fly, swim or even essential. they do have one thing in escape predators. common: SURVIVAL. Surviving Another important step is to get in the wild is already difficult. When an animal eats trash , it involved ! Join one of these Let’s pledge to take an active can cause starvation or local environmental groups that role in protecting and malnutrition when the items helps protect nature: The conserving these species! cannot be digested or broken Bahamas National Trust , Friends down in the body. An object Reduce, Reuse & Recycle! For of the Environment , or Trash can hurt many kinds of with sharp edges can damage example, you can take your BREEF . Take some time and visit animals, especially birds. the airway or stomach of the recycle totes to the food store your local parks and zoos to When an animal is entangled , animal leading to infection or instead of using new plastic see these amazing animals in such as in plastic or fishing pain. bags each time OR you can person. By making small line, the debris can strangle or refill a reusable water bottle changes, we can create a big suffocate the animal or Small changes to your rather than buying small change in our country. So become so tight that it leads behavior will add up! Practice bottles of water each whether they fly, walk or swim, to wounds and infection. conservation with the 3R’s: day. And of course, making we can protect the animals that share our country with us! .

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