Shorebirds Flashcards
shorebird
(n.) any bird that frequents the shore. This includes species such as western sandpipers and piping plovers
crustacean
(n.)an arthropod of the large, mainly aquatic group Crustacean, such as a crab, lobster, shrimp, or barnacle. Also a main food source for Shore Birds that live along the coast.
oil spill
(n.) an accidental release of oil into a body of water, presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment. These events can pose as major threats to shorebirds directly and indirectly, damaging their wings and lungs yet also overall affecting their habitat.
Sea Level Rise
(n.) Causes erosion of shorelines and rain forests, flooding of wetlands that house freshwater ecosystems. Caused by global climate changes that is melting sea ice. This hurts the Shorebird's habitats along the coasts, their nests may be ruined and will force them to relocate.
littering
(v.) making a public place untidy with rubbish or a large number of objects lying about. Littering threatens the beach habitats as shorebirds can be susceptible to mistaking it for food or becoming stuck in larger pieces.
mudflats
(n.) wide expanses of an estuary that are exposed during low tide. This is another example of the habitat of many shorebirds
beach
(n.) an area of the shoreline that is made up of deposited sediment. This is one of the main habitats of shorebirds and are severely impacted by human activities.
wetlands
(n.) a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. These are another primary habitat of our shorebirds.
migrate
(v.) (of an animal, typically a bird or fish) move from one region or habitat to another according to the seasons.
Wader
(n.) (North American) a wading bird of the order Ciconiiformes, which comprises the herons, storks, and ibises.
Oystercatcher
(n.) black-and-white shorebird with stout legs and bill; feed on oysters
Piping Plover
(n.) The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America.
Flight Feathers
(n.) Winged feathers on shorebirds, grown from nutrients in distant wetlands. Transport the shorebird thousands of miles and are critical in securing a nesting site and territory and will also aid in incubating the eggs and forming a hard outer surface to protect the soft downy feathering under the incubating adult birds from rain.