If you’ve ever watched birds along the coast, you’ve probably noticed they behave a little differently from backyard birds. Sea and shore birds are full of fascinating adaptations that help them survive in windy, salty, ever-changing environments. Here are some amazing (and sometimes weird!) things to look for next time you’re near the water:
Before we dive in: If you’re an educator planning to teach sea and shorebirds, great learning resources are key to deepening understanding! I think you and your students will love my complete Sea and Shorebirds Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)
Many seabirds, like terns, don’t build elaborate nests in trees. Instead, they create a simple “scrape”—a shallow depression in sand or gravel. It might not look like much, but it helps keep eggs from rolling away and provides just enough shelter to blend into their surroundings.
Albatrosses have some of the largest wingspans of any bird on Earth—some stretching to about 10 feet! These wings allow them to glide effortlessly on ocean winds, sometimes traveling miles without flapping much at all.
3. Skimmers Fish in a Totally Unique Way
Skimmers have one of the strangest feeding strategies in the bird world. They fly low over the water with their lower bill slicing through the surface. When they bump into a fish, SNAP!—they quickly grab it. Their uneven bill (longer on the bottom than the top) makes this possible.
4. Cormorants Have to Dry Their Wings
Unlike ducks, cormorants don’t have fully waterproof feathers. After diving for fish, their feathers get soaked. That’s why you’ll often see them perched with wings spread wide—air-drying in the sun and wind before their next dive.
5. Some Birds Can Drink Saltwater
Living by the ocean presents a salty challenge—but many seabirds have a special solution. Birds like gulls have salt glands near their eyes that remove excess salt from their bodies. The salt is then expelled through their nostrils—kind of like sneezing out seawater!
6. Shorebirds Are Long-Distance Migrants
Many shorebirds are incredible travelers. Some species migrate thousands of miles each year between breeding and feeding grounds. For example, the Arctic tern migrates between the Arctic and Antarctic!
Take a close look at different shorebirds, and you’ll notice a wide variety of beak shapes. That’s because each one is adapted for a specific feeding style. Some probe deep into the sand for worms, while others pick tiny creatures off the surface. These specialized tools help reduce competition and allow many species to share the same habitat.
Sea and shore birds may live in harsh environments, but their unique adaptations make them perfectly suited for life along the water. Next time you’re at the beach or coastal wetland, take a moment to watch them—you might just spot one of these amazing behaviors in action!
Study this topic with Wild Earth Lab!
There’s no need to scramble to put together the perfect lesson for teaching birds and animal adaptations – I’ve already created it for you! This set includes all the printable materials you need for studying this subject.
Wild Earth Lab is supported by readers like you. This post includes links to my own products and affiliate products. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Are you studying birds in your homeschool or classroom? Engaging your students with interactive bird activities can make learning about these unique animals memorable. Birds provide a great opportunity to explore animal biology concepts, from understanding bird adaptations and behaviors to investigating their diets and life cycles.
To support your bird study, I’ve curated eight fun and educational bird activity ideas that are perfect for homeschool parents and classroom teachers alike. Whether you’re teaching elementary science or simply looking for creative ways to bring nature into your lessons, these hands-on bird activities are sure to inspire!
Download this FREE bird anatomy worksheet that I created just for you! It features a heron and is perfect for learning about the different feathers and body parts of a bird. The set includes a labeled diagram and an unlabeled diagram for practice!
My newsletter subscribers can access my free resources page, where you’ll find this diagram and many other freebies.
It’s easy to observe wild birds in action when you set up a bird feeder. You can do this outside your classroom window or in another outdoor area. Bird feeders are a great way to observe the feeding habits of birds up close.
Before you set up your bird feeder, have students research the diets of common birds in your area, with a wildlife research project (free worksheets!). Birds eat a wide range of food – seeds, berries, insects, flower nectar, small animals, and more! Furthermore, they feed in different ways. Some crack nuts with strong beaks, while others drill into wood or catch flying insects from the air!
Since different birds have different diets and feeding habits, there are many different types of bird feeders to choose from. After researching the local birds and their feeding habits, students can help select the best type of bird feeder for your classroom. A few different bird feeder options include:
Tray feeders
Hummingbird feeders (e.g., these hand-made glass feeders)
Hopper feeders (e.g., this feeder made from recycled plastic!)
Nyjer feeders
Window feeder – great for seeing birds up close! (example)
DIY bird feeders – gather your own materials or get a kit (example)
3. Try a fun bird beaks lab
A bird beaks lab is a hilarious and hands-on way to experience competition between species and learn about natural selection and animal adaptations. Students will experience first-hand how specialized beaks can help birds quickly gather the most food and outcompete other types of birds.
In my blog, I’ve created a guide for completing your own bird beaks lab! Check out my directions for setting up your own bird beaks lab in this post!
Raptors, or birds of prey, are top predators that can be found in almost any type of habitat, from coastal areas to mountains, wetlands to deserts, grasslands to forests. Some of these incredible birds can even adapt to live alongside humans in urban areas!
Raptor centers provide homes for injured birds of prey that can no longer survive in the wild, as well as raptor outreach and education for their local communities. You can learn all about raptors from the experts at your local raptor center or wildlife sanctuary while seeing these amazing birds up close! Many Raptor centers offer tours to school groups and homeschoolers, and some have outreach programs that will come to your school.
You can also find more raptor activity ideas and raptor information in my blog posts:
Building or decorating a birdhouse is a wonderful activity to go along with studying bird life cycles. Learn about the nesting habits of birds and create a little bird home where you can watch the bird life cycle take place!
There are many birdhouse options to choose from. You can get a birdhouse kit where you assemble the parts yourself (example) or pre-made birdhouses ready for kids to decorate (example)!
Birds have lots of special adaptations, and the most obvious ones are their wings! However, bird wings are not one size fits all – bird wings come in many specialized forms that are serve different functions and fit different lifestyles. Read my blog post about bird wings to take a look at a few different types of wings and what they do!
Nothing beats seeing birds in their natural habitat! Birds can be found in all sorts of different environments, from forests to grasslands, wetlands to deserts, coasts to mountains! They can even be found adapting to live in urban areas alongside humans, in some cases!
Don’t forget to bring all the right equipment when you go bird watching. You’ll need:
There’s no need to scramble to put together the perfect bird lesson plan – I’ve already done the work for you! Choose from seabirds & shorebirds, waterfowl & waterbirds, and birds of prey! You’ll find even more activities, printable learning materials, worksheets, and more in my bird units!
Birds are a diverse group of animals. Despite their vast differences, hummingbirds, penguins, and eagles all share a common ancestry! Through the process of natural selection, birds adapted to thrive in unique ecological niches. One of their most fascinating adaptations is their wings. But wings are not one size fits all – bird wings come in many specialized forms that serve different functions and fit different lifestyles. Let’s take a look at a few different types of bird wings and what they do!
Active soaring wings have an extremely long, slender shape. They are ideal for catching horizontal air currents like sea breezes. They help minimize flapping to conserve energy, making them great for staying in the air for long periods while hunting or migrating. You will find many examples of active soaring wings among seabirds.
Examples: albatross, gannet
Passive Soaring Bird Wings
Passive soaring wings appear broad and slotted. They are best for catching updrafts and flying for long periods. They help minimize flapping to conserve energy while circling to look for food on the ground or in the water below. You will find raptors and seabirds with this wing type.
Example: pelican, eagle
High-Speed Bird Wings
High-speed bird wings are not as long as active or passive soaring wings. They may appear pointed at the ends. As the name implies, high-speed wings are great for rapid movement. However, the bird must spend lots of energy flapping to reach high speeds. This makes these wings ideal for short bursts of speed, such as chasing down a flying prey animal or insect.
Examples: falcon, tern
Elliptical Bird Wings
Elliptical bird wings have a more rounded appearance. They are great for quick maneuvers and turns, which is why they are often seen on birds that live in dense forests. They are also good for quick take-offs, which can help a bird escape from a predator. Elliptical wings require lots of flapping to stay in flight.
Examples: dove, turkey
Swimming Bird Wings
Some wings have a fin-like shape. These wings are great for swimming, which can be very useful for a penguin that hunts by pursuit diving for fish underwater. Swimming wings allow a bird to “fly” underwater! These fin-like wings lack true flight feathers and are not suitable for flight (in the air, at least).
Example: penguin
Hovering Bird Wings
Hovering wings are great for – you guessed it – hovering. This type of wing allows a bird to stay in one place, suspended in the air. Hovering wings are small and move very, very quickly. Furthermore, when a bird flaps its hovering wings, the motion comes mostly from the shoulder joint rather than joints further down the wing. Hovering lets a hummingbird drink nectar from flowers while in flight. However, a huge amount of energy is used to keep the wings flapping so quickly.
Example: hummingbird
Study Bird Adaptations with Wild Earth Lab:
I’ve created these learning material sets to help you study bird adaptations:
Heisman, R. (2022). Extraordinary Appendages: An Introduction to Bird Wings. American Bird Conservancy. Available: https://abcbirds.org/blog/bird-wings/
The beach is a wonderful place for bird watching, especially if you’re visiting from far away and used to a landlocked setting. A trip to the ocean opens up a world of unique bird species thriving in their natural habitat. Here, you’ll encounter a fascinating array of seabirds and shorebirds—each adapted to life in a saltwater environment.
Despite the common habitat that they share, the birds of the ocean are very diverse – you’ll see a huge array of beaks, wing shapes, and foot types. Through adaptation, these species have each carved out their own place in the coastal ecosystem, making the ocean an exciting destination for any bird enthusiast.
For teachers and parents: If you are learning about seabirds and shorebirds with kids, whether you’re a parent or an educator, I highly recommend checking out my sea & shorebirds unit (coastal birds) and my waterbirds unit (freshwater birds). These printable sets include everything you need to learn about bird life cycles, adaptations, and bird ID. These two units are also found in my Bird Bundle. Plus, the materials feature my watercolor bird artwork, as seen in this post.
Seabirds and shorebirds are both seen at the beach, but there are some differences between them. Shorebirds, also called “waders” in some regions, are birds found along the coast. Shorebirds all fall within the biological order Charadriiformes. This order includes sandpipers and plovers, among others. Many shorebirds have long legs perfect for wading through shallow water, walking, or running. Many feed along the water’s edge or by probing their bills in shallow water or sand. Unlike seabirds, not all shorebirds can swim particularly well.
On the other hand, “Seabird” is a blanket term for the many bird species that are adapted to living in a marine environment. Seabirds are excellent swimmers. They use their webbed feet to paddle while floating atop the water. Some even dive beneath the surface and swim to great depths to hunt food. While graceful in water, many seabirds move with considerably more difficulty while on land. Some spend months at a time in the open ocean and only come to land to nest along coasts, lay eggs, and raise their young, often in large groups called colonies.
Shorebirds in the surf. Photo by Blair Damson on Pexels.com
Types of Shorebirds
Here are some shorebirds you might spot at the beach or coast:
Sandpipers
These birds get their name for the unusual way they feed – probing their bills in the sand for buried goodies like crustaceans and insect larvae. Sandpipers are quite diverse. Within this group, there are many shapes and lengths of bills. This variety allows different species to probe for food at different depths.
For example, the long-billed curlew can extract food from deep in the mud, with its impressively long downward-curved bill! Other examples of sandpipers include yellowlegs, turnstones, and sanderlings. A widespread and diverse group, sandpipers are one bird family you’re likely to spot on your next trip to the beach!
A long-billed curlew probing in the sand
Plovers
If you see a small bird running along the water’s edge, there’s a good chance it’s a plover! Plovers are a diverse group of small shorebirds with long, thin legs. They are quick on their feet, which helps them scamper along the beach as they forage for food on the ground. Any time I see one of these tiny birds at the beach, I find myself worrying that the next wave might just sweep it away – but they always seem to run to safety just in time!
You can tell plovers apart from other shorebirds because they have relatively short necks and bills. Plumage varies between plover species. Examples of plovers include killdeer, golden plovers, and semipalmated plovers.
Semipalmated plover
Stilts and Avocets
You may see these leggy birds probing and scything for food in shallow waters of coastal wetlands with their long, thin bills. To tell the difference between a stilt and an avocet, just look at the bill. Stilts have straight bills while avocets’ bills curve upwards. Both have long necks and long, thin legs.
American avocet
Oystercatchers
These unique shorebirds are most easily recognized by their large, bright-red bills. Their bills are special tools for opening shells to get to the food inside. They also have long, pinkish legs and black and white plumage.
American oystercatcher
Types of Seabirds
Here are some seabirds you might spot at the beach, coast, or in boats on the open ocean.
Gulls & Terns
Gulls and terns are likely some of the most common birds you’ll see at the beach. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, and are opportunistic feeders. They can catch (or find) food in a variety of different ways. Unfortunately, these adaptable birds often end up feeding on human garbage, which can make them (and other wildlife) ill. For this reason, it’s important to always pick up your trash while visiting the shore!
Terns look quite similar to gulls, but usually are smaller with a more streamlined body. Terns are fast fliers, and some make incredible migrations, such as the Arctic tern, which journeys from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back each year. Talk about a long flight!
Herring gull
Skimmers
These distinctive birds are related to gulls and terns, but are of special interest because of the unusual way they catch their food. Skimmers feed by “skimming” the water’s surface with their distinctive bills. They fly low to the water with an open beak, letting the lower beak drag through the water. When the beak touches a fish, it snaps shut like a mousetrap. Pretty cool!
A black skimmer skimming the surface of the water for food
Pelicans
Pelicans are another common bird at the beach. They are most easily identified by their large size and a pouch for holding prey spanning from the lower part of the bill to the throat. If you are lucky, you can watch pelicans hunt while you sit on the beach. They put on a spectacular show, diving from the air into the water to catch fish.
Brown pelican
Cormorants
Cormorants are some of the strangest-looking seabirds, in my opinion. With a long hooked bill, long neck, and fully webbed feet, a cormorant is well-equipped to swim underwater hunting fish like some sort of bizarre sea creature.
While graceful in water, these oddities appear awkward on land, standing with a nearly upright posture since their flippered feet are attached near the rear of their body. Furthermore, cormorants often stand around gawkily holding their wings partially open to dry in the sun since they do not make water-resistant oils for their feathers. If you are lucky enough to spot one of these majestic misfits, feel free to stare!
Double-crested cormorant
Puffins & Auks
If you visit a coast in far-northern regions at the right time of year, you may see puffins! Puffins, and their relatives like murres and guillemots, are sometimes collectively called “auks”. While they may remind us of penguins with their round bodies and black and white plumage, auks are actually more closely related to seagulls. Similar to penguins, auks are excellent divers that pursue fish by using their wings to “fly” underwater. However, auks like puffins can also fly in the air too!
Atlantic puffin
Gannets & Boobies
These birds are absolute diving machines! They are amazingly adapted for one thing – plummeting headfirst from the air into the water! Gannets and boobies have sturdy, pointed bills and streamlined bodies that help them hit the water at high speeds without hurting themselves. They use the momentum of the dive to swim underwater and catch a meal. This special form of hunting is known as “plunge diving”. If you wish to see gannets and boobies hunting, you may want to get on a boat, as these seabirds thrive in an open-ocean environment.
A northern gannet plunge diving for fish
Albatrosses & Tubenoses
Albatrosses and their relatives (petrels, shearwaters, and storm-petrels) make up the bird order known as Procellariiformes, also sometimes called “tube-nosed seabirds” or “tubenoses”. Your best bet at seeing one of these stunning seabirds might be on a boat, as they spend significant portions of the year hunting in the open ocean.
Albatrosses’ claim to fame is their impressive wingspan. Albatrosses have what is known as active soaring wings – which are extra-long and slender wings that act like a glider plane. These wings help them harness sea breezes to fly and migrate without using up too much energy flapping. The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird – nearly 12 feet!
Black-footed albatross
Penguins
While you are unlikely to see one at the beach (unless you live in Antarctica or other select locations in the Southern Hemisphere), penguins are technically a type of seabird. Like other seabirds, they spend significant time living and hunting in the open ocean. Many penguins are uniquely adapted for life in extremely cold and icy places.
Chinstrap penguin
Other Waterbirds at the Beach
Ducks, swans, and egrets are all waterbirds. Photo by Robert So on Pexels.com
Sea and shorebirds are not the only birds that live in water. “Waterbird” is a general term for any bird that spends significant time swimming or wading in water. This can be in saltwater or freshwater. All seabirds and shorebirds are also waterbirds, but not all waterbirds are sea or shorebirds. Other waterbirds include geese, ducks, herons, coots, grebes, and many more.
Furthermore, sea and shorebirds are not the only birds found at the seaside. Waterbirds like herons and loons live in freshwater and saltwater habitats, but are not specifically considered seabirds or shorebirds.
Study Seabirds and Shorebirds with Wild Earth Lab:
Are you an educator or parent? If you enjoyed this post, I know you and your students will love using my Seabirds & Shorebirds science materials in your classroom or with your kids!
A raptor is a predatory bird, with sharp talons, a hooked beak, and keen eyesight. Raptors are also sometimes called birds of prey. There are many different types of birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, vultures, ospreys, and kites. Birds of prey come in many different sizes: from the American kestrel, the smallest of falcons, which is not much larger than a blue jay, to the golden eagle, which can have a wingspan over 6 feet (1.8 meters)! Condors, a type of vulture, can be even larger. The Andean condor of western South America may have a wingspan of up to about 10 feet (3 meters).
In this post, you will learn five traits shared by raptors that make them unique and amazing birds. But first…
A note for educators: if you plan to teach birds of prey in your classroom or homeschool, I hope you’ll check out my complete Birds of Prey Unit. It includes all the printable materials needed for a fun raptor study! Plus, every purchase in my shop supports this educational blog!
A bald eagle’s keen eyes. Photo by Darrell Gough on Pexels.com
Birds of prey have excellent eyesight to spot their prey from a great distance. Many birds of prey, hunt by circling high in the air over open fields or perching atop tall trees – it takes some amazing eyesight to spot tiny prey animals like mice and snakes from way up there!
2. Curved Beaks
A falcon’s sharp, curved beak. Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com
All birds of prey have curved or hooked beaks. Curved beaks are an evolutionary adaptation of raptors, that serve as a sort of multi-tool. Raptors use their hooked beaks for many purposes, such as killing and eating prey, preening, and feeding their nestlings.
3. Sharp Talons
A raptor’s sharp talons. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Birds of prey have sharp talons for grasping their prey. Most birds of prey have anisodactyl feet, meaning that they have three talons facing forward, and one talon on the back of the foot (called a hallux). Owls have zygodactyl or semi-zygodactyl feet. Zygodactyl means two talons face forward and two talons face backward. Semi-zygodactyl feet are like zygodactyl feet but one of the back talons can rotate to the front as needed.
4. Meat Eaters
An osprey has caught a fish to eat. Photo by Tina Nord on Pexels.com
Birds of prey eat meat. This means that in a food web, they fill the role of a secondary or higher consumer. Most birds of prey are predators that hunt for a variety of prey animals such as squirrels, mice, rabbits, snakes, and smaller birds. Some raptors also hunt for insects. Vultures are carnivorous scavengers, which usually eat the dead carcasses of animals rather than hunting and killing their own prey.
5. Involved Parents
A pair of great horned owl fledglings. Photo by Tina Nord on Pexels.com
Both male and female parents take active roles in raising the young: incubating eggs, hunting and providing food to the young, and defending the nest from predators. Young raptors, called nestlings, are completely dependent on their parents for food, shelter, and protection. Once they develop flight feathers, the young birds are called fledglings. The fledglings practice leaving and returning to the nest, while still depending on their parents for food.
Chances are you can find raptors in your local area! Raptors are found in all sorts of habitats, including forests, deserts, coastal areas, grasslands, wetlands, and even urban areas! Depending on where you live, you will find different species of raptors. Visit a local raptor center or check out your state or county’s parks and wildlife website to learn about common raptors in your area!
Finally, don’t forget to check out my complete printable birds of prey unit. It is perfect for taking a field trip to the raptor center with your students or studying birds of prey in your classroom or homeschool. Plus, you’ll support my blog with your purchase in my shop!
Are you interested in reading more posts about amazing wildlife? Subscribe or follow Wild Earth Lab using the links below!
