Diving bird
Encyclopedia
Diving birds are birds which plunge into water to catch
fish
or other food. They may enter the water from flight, as does the brown pelican
(Pelecanus occidentalis), or they may dive from the surface of the water. More than likely they evolved from birds already adapted for swimming
that were equipped with such adaptations as lobed or webbed feet for propulsion
.
of the Cretaceous
Period - propelled themselves with their feet. They were large, streamlined, flightless birds with teeth for grasping slippery prey. Today, Cormorants (family Phalacrocoracidae), Loons (Gaviidae), and Grebes (Podicipedidae) are the major groups of foot
propelled diving birds.
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
or other food. They may enter the water from flight, as does the brown pelican
Brown Pelican
The Brown Pelican is the smallest of the eight species of pelican, although it is a large bird in nearly every other regard. It is in length, weighs from and has a wingspan from .-Range and habits:...
(Pelecanus occidentalis), or they may dive from the surface of the water. More than likely they evolved from birds already adapted for swimming
Aquatic locomotion
Swimming is biologically propelled motion through a liquid medium. Swimming has evolved a number of times in a range of organisms ranging from arthropods to fish to molluscs.-Evolution of swimming:...
that were equipped with such adaptations as lobed or webbed feet for propulsion
Animal locomotion
Animal locomotion, which is the act of self-propulsion by an animal, has many manifestations, including running, swimming, jumping and flying. Animals move for a variety of reasons, such as to find food, a mate, or a suitable microhabitat, and to escape predators...
.
Foot-propelled diving birds
Some diving birds - for example, the extinct HesperornithesHesperornithes
Hesperornithes is an extinct and highly specialized clade of Cretaceous toothed birds. Hesperornithine birds, apparently limited to former aquatic habitats in the Northern Hemisphere, include genera such as Hesperornis, Parahesperornis, Baptornis, Enaliornis, and probably Potamornis, all...
of the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period - propelled themselves with their feet. They were large, streamlined, flightless birds with teeth for grasping slippery prey. Today, Cormorants (family Phalacrocoracidae), Loons (Gaviidae), and Grebes (Podicipedidae) are the major groups of foot
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
propelled diving birds.