Water Birds Flashcards
What bird is this?
Southern Lapwing
Raucous, conspicuous shorebird. Distinctive color pattern with black breast, white belly, gray head, and bronzy shoulder. Wings boldly patterned in flight. Often in pairs or small flocks in open habitats, usually near water but also in dry pastures. Loud grating call is a good clue to its presence.
What bird is this?
Kelp Gull
Large dark-backed gull: one of the most prevalent water birds in Colombia. Few similar species in much of its range. Usually coastal. Adults have black backs and wings with very little white in the flight feathers. The bill is very strong and robust and the legs are greenish-yellow. Juveniles have a dark brown back mottled with white, a black bill, and a dark band on the tail.
What bird is this?
Wattled Jacana
Black-backed
Striking marsh bird, medium-sized with exceptionally long toes. In some regions adult is entirely black; other populations more similar to Northern Jacana with rufous upperparts. Always has red forehead and wattle at base of bill.
What bird is this?
Neotropic Cormorant
Black body. Immatures have dark brown breast. Orange facial skin comes to a point and is bordered by thin white line. Smaller, longer-tailed and shorter-legged than Double-crested Cormorant. Often perches with spread wings to dry them out.
What bird is this?
Snowy Egret
Small white heron with black bill, black legs, and yellow feet. Lores (between eye and bill) are usually bright yellow, but flush reddish in the breeding season. Also note lacy plumes on head, breast, and back during breeding season.
What bird is this?
American Oystercatcher
Large, bulky shorebird with thick red bill. Unmistakable, striking plumage. Exclusively coastal; favors beaches where it feeds on shellfish and other invertebrates; less frequent in rocky areas.
What bird is this?
Wattled Jacana
Chestnut-backed
All ages show yellow wings in flight. Found in wetlands, usually with a combination of grasses and lily pads. The male is responsible for the offspring once the eggs are laid.
What bird is this?
Wattled Jacana
Juvenile, chestnut-backed
Juveniles very similar to Northern Jacana: bronzy-brown above with white underparts and eyebrow; note yellow bill and long toes to separate from other marsh birds.
