Birds

EDUCATOR RESOURCES

LATEST TODAY'S CATCH

Laysan Albatross with a Chick

May 10, 2013 - 9:27AMThe Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) breeds mainly in Hawaii and other Pacific islands where male and female pairs will incubate their egg for nine weeks. The pair participates in an elaborate courtship dance where...

Adélie Penguins Face Off
Apr 15, 2013 - 10:25AM
These cute Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are actually having a bit of...

King Penguins, Right Whale Beach, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean
Mar 27, 2013 - 9:30AM
There are over 30 colonies of king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on...

SPOTLIGHT

Puffin in Flight

A tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) in flight against a gray sky in Alaska’s Pribilof Islands (USA). Puffins are...
Socotra Archipelago, Yemen
Nov 5 2010 - 1:11pm
The Socotra Archipelago site in Yemen was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. The marine life is diverse and includes 283 species of coral, 730 species of coastal fish, and 300 species of crab, lobster, and shrimp.
Netting an oiled pelican in the Gulf of Mexico
Jun 16 2010 - 11:36am
Carl Pellegrin (left) of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Tim Kimmel of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepare to net an oiled pelican in Barataria Bay, La., Saturday, June 5, 2010. The pelican was netted and transported to a facility on Grand Isle, La., for stabilization...
Adélie Penguins Face Off
Apr 15 2013 - 10:25am
These cute Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) are actually having a bit of a spat. In the spring (October for them), the penguins form breeding colonies on rocky coasts with thousands of birds in a group.
Tern and Loggerhead Sea Turtle, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal
Jan 11 2013 - 10:40am
“I slowly approached this bird resting on the back of a turtle just under the surface of the water. I got the shot just before the tern flew away.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Nuno Sá. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo...
A Gathering of Seabirds and Seals
Mar 18 2011 - 2:25pm
A menageries of seabirds (including cormorants and pelicans) and seal gather on a rocky outcrop. The photo is a still from The Changing Sea, part of the 19th Annual Environmental Film Festival, which was held in Washington, DC in 2011. See more pictures from the festival's movies.
Blue-footed Booby
Dec 7 2009 - 3:14pm
Blue-footed Boobies (Sula nebouxii), common in the Galapagos Islands and other warm coastal areas of the Pacific, can catch flying fish in mid-air. Their blue feet are for fashion AND function. Male and female boobies wave their feet about in elaborate courtship displays and dances. Bluer feet mean...
Adélie Penguins, Paulet Island, Antarctica
Jun 28 2012 - 8:30am
“As we motored around Paulet Island in a Zodiac boat, these two curious penguins waddled across an iceberg to get a closer look at us.” -- Nature's Best photographer, Phillip Colla. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest....
New Guinea Birds
Jul 9 2010 - 1:19pm
After leaving Australia, Dampier and his men reached the western coast of New Guinea on New Year’s Day 1700. There Dampier observed birds that he had never seen before, like the “stately land-fowl” shown here.
Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP)
Aug 22 2012 - 1:57pm
The TOPP program brought together scientists from seven countries to explore the lives of large mid-water animals such as sea turtles, birds, whales, tuna, sharks, seals and even squids. Animals that live throughout the open ocean are often hard to track, and because of this difficulty, we know...
Accidental Catch
Jul 3 2012 - 10:23am
An albatross drowned after being accidentally caught on a longline near Brazil. Marine birds are among the species that can become bycatch. Watch a video about how scientists and fishermen are trying methods to reduce bycatch. 
Brown Pelican covered in oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill
Jun 6 2010 - 7:34pm
On June 3, 2010 a brown pelican, the Louisiana state bird, stands mired in oil in East Grand Terre. According to reports, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was contacted, and biologists rescued about 20 oiled birds from the area. In November 2009 the brown pelican’s removal from...
Puffin in Flight
Dec 11 2012 - 9:29am
A tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) in flight against a gray sky in Alaska’s Pribilof Islands (USA). Puffins are charismatic seabirds that delight wildlife enthusiasts and draw tourists to the islands where they nest. Read about the return of Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) to Maine in...
Pelican Nest in Mangroves
Dec 7 2012 - 9:13am
In Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) nest at the top of a mangrove tree. Many other kinds of birds—as well as insects, frogs, snakes, and lizards—live in the canopy of mangroves. More about mangroves can be found in our Mangroves featured story.
Happy World Penguin Day!
Apr 23 2013 - 5:19pm
Even if you aren't a hardcore birder, chances are you have some hidden love for penguins. These flightless birds have captured our hearts through countless movies, beautiful images and their adorable fluffy young.
Black Skimmer, Nickerson Beach, Long Island, N.Y., USA
Dec 23 2010 - 2:59pm
“I visited the beach at sunrise after high tide and found this skimmer feeding, providing me with this reflected shot.” -- Nature's Best photographer, James A. Galletto. See more beautiful ocean photos in our slideshow of winners from the 2010 Nature's Best Ocean Views photo contest.
St. Kilda, United Kingdom
Nov 4 2010 - 3:54pm
The St. Kilda site in the United Kingdom was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1986. The volcanic archipelago and surrounding marine waters have some of the highest cliffs in Europe and host large colonies of rare and endangered birds.