Water bird
A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term water bird is especially applied to birds in
The term aquatic bird is sometimes also used in this context. A related term that has a narrower meaning is
Types
Some examples of water birds are:
- Stercorariidae within Charadriiformes)
- Shorebirds (waders, order Charadriiformes)
- magpie geese, screamers)
- Podicipediformes)
- Loons (order Gaviiformes)
- Ciconiiformes)
- Pelecaniformes (pelicans, herons, egrets, ibises, etc.)
- Flamingos (order Phoenicopteriformes)
- Some members of the order )
- Kingfishers (mainly the water kingfishers, sometimes the river kingfishers, and rarely the tree kingfishers)
- One family of dippers
Evolution
The evolution of waterbirds is often mainly centered around adaptations to improve feeding techniques. This includes legs that are adapted to diving or wading and webbing between the toes. Many of these adaptations are common between different types of waterbirds. For example, flamingos and ducks share a similar filter-feeding lifestyle, and the shoebill has a similar structure (morphology) to many wading birds.[1]
Conservation
This section needs expansion with: other conservation efforts, including other means and organizations. You can help by adding to it. (November 2022) |
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (November 2022) |
Waterbird conservation efforts in the United States are advanced by numerous organizations, including the 700,000 member strong Ducks Unlimited. Employing such methods as conservation easements and outright purchase, it uses federal and state habitat reimbursements, sponsorships, member fees, major gifts, donations, royalties, and advertisement to raise over $200 million a year.[2] A minimum of 80 percent[3] of that revenue goes directly toward habitat conservation.[4]
Ducks Unlimited partners with a wide range of corporations, governments, other non-governmental organizations, landowners, and private citizens to restore and manage areas that have been degraded and to prevent further degradation of existing wetlands. DU is also active in working with others to recommend government policies that will influence wetlands and the environment.[5] Through March 2021 Ducks Unlimited had conserved at least 15 million acres[6] of waterfowl habitat in North America.[7]
To promote the conservation of waterbirds in America, the United States
Extinction
The loss of
This loss of wetlands is a result of various sources in China. The rise of urbanization and industries has resulted in pollution and waste in the water. In addition, reclamation projects for construction further threaten ruining the habitats of these birds. For example, the largest of these reclamation projects is the Oufei Project, which spans 8854 Hectares.[9]
Interspecific competition
Experimental evidence of competition has been difficult to obtain in highly mobile animals that cannot be meaningfully confined to plots of limited size. Many such animals are believed to compete with less mobile, resident taxa, but the supporting evidence has often remained circumstantial.[10]
One example is the interaction between water birds and
Mobile water birds avoid areas where their food density is high because this increases competition for resources. When there is a lot of food in an area, there are more birds trying to eat it. This can lead to aggression and fighting, as well as a decrease in the overall fitness of the bird.
By avoiding areas of high food density, mobile waterfowl can reduce competition and improve their chances of survival. They can spread out and forage in less crowded areas, which allows them to avoid conflict and obtain the nutrients they need.[11]
Diseases
Outbreaks of diseases spread by waterbirds result from the transition of water-borne viruses to those wild birds. The spread can be caused by dead waterbirds in the vicinity of other organisms, or simply from waterbirds with the virus settling into more densely populated areas (whether by humans or other organisms).[12]
Duck enteritis virus (DEV)
Duck plague (DP), also called duck enteritis virus (DEV), presents the most important concern in mass waterfowl production. Free-ranging water birds are the most likely infectious carriers. While the overall epidemiology of DEV is unknown in western Europe, studies conducted in Poland agree with the high levels of transmission between free-ranging water birds.[13]
DEV is an aetiological agent of DP, which represents one of the most acute and lethal diseases of waterbirds, and infection can spread easily between farmed and wild waterbirds. Over 48 species of birds, including those not considered waterbirds, are susceptible to infection by DEV, and the mortality rate of this disease can reach up to 100%, especially in young birds.[13]
H5N1
Avian influenza caused by infection with H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV), has spread in poultry in more than 60 countries in Eurasia and Africa since 1996, when the first outbreak occurred at a goose farm in Guangdong province in China.[12] H5N1 in wild birds have spread to Asia, Europe, and Africa, and it is possible for the H5N1 virus to be spread by migratory water birds to the west and south, as genetically closely related H5N1 viruses have been isolated in several countries since 2005.
H5N1 HPAIV infections have become endemic in several countries and cause accidental transmissions to humans. H5N1 viruses are thus now recognized as one of the most likely candidates for the next pandemic.[12]
References
- ^ PMID 11429133.
- ^ "Ducks Unlimited 990".
- ^ "Ducks Unlimited and Hunting". Ducks Unlimited. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ "National Fact Sheet" (PDF). Ducks Unlimited.
- ^ "Public Policy". Ducks Unlimited. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- ^ "Texas helps Ducks Unlimited reach 15 million acre goal". Houston Chronicle. March 26, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Lindsay (Fall 2012). "Ducks in a Row". Philanthropy. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ "U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Migratory Bird Program | Conserving America's Birds". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-15. [dead link]
- ^ S2CID 221190499.
- ^ PMID 18051660. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
- ^ Tahir, Anam. "30 Different Types of Water Birds". Bird Life Habitat. Anam Tahir. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ PMID 22113008.
- ^ S2CID 14693217. Retrieved 2021-03-15.