. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Hening gull feet above the water, the bird's beak, despite its gargantuan proportions, is streamlined, aerody- namic and poised for action. Spotting prey from this lofty position, the pelican dips into a swooping dive, beak and neck extended, to spear through the water with a loud splash. Beneath the water's surface, the beak and lower throat undergo an amazing metamorphosis. As the pelican submerges itself and opens its beak, as much as gallons of seawater flood into its lower throat area expanding it
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. Hening gull feet above the water, the bird's beak, despite its gargantuan proportions, is streamlined, aerody- namic and poised for action. Spotting prey from this lofty position, the pelican dips into a swooping dive, beak and neck extended, to spear through the water with a loud splash. Beneath the water's surface, the beak and lower throat undergo an amazing metamorphosis. As the pelican submerges itself and opens its beak, as much as gallons of seawater flood into its lower throat area expanding it dramati- cally. The result is a balloonlike sack that filters the seawater as it rushes out between the mandibles, leaving behind Atlantic menhaden, mullet or other small fish. Not only is the amazing bill of this bird an efficient food catcher, it also functions as a feeder for chicks. When it's time to feed the little ones, the adult regurgitates food,. Brown pelican opens its beak wide, and the babies, blind at birth, grope inside with their own tiny beaks. The straight, thin upper beak acts as an effective lid, jutting over the bottom beak in a downward-curved hook just as a latch would. The sanderling, a type of sandpiper that weighs a mere 2 to 3 ounces, has more limited food foraging needs than both the seagull and the brown pelican. Its beak design reflects this. You may have noticed this midget "wave catcher" scuttling back and forth 30 HIGH SEASON 1998. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original UNC Sea Grant College Program. [Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program]
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
