Birds Flying Over Water is a Common Sight
It is very common to see birds flying over bodies of water. This is because water sources provide food, water, and shelter for many species of birds. Lakes, rivers, oceans, and other wetlands are important habitats and migration routes for a variety of avian species.
Some types of birds that can frequently be seen flying over water include seabirds like seagulls, terns, pelicans, cormorants, and albatrosses. Waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans are also common over wetlands, ponds, and lakes. Shorebirds like plovers, sandpipers, and avocets feed along mudflats and shallow water. Herons, egrets, ospreys, kingfishers, and other waterbirds hunt for fish and aquatic prey around water sources.
Raptors may scan and hunt over water for food sources. Songbirds and other passerines often stop at water to drink and bathe during migration. Wetlands provide crucial resting and refueling spots for migrating birds that fly great distances seasonally. Overall, water supports the basic needs of birds, so it is no surprise many species can be spotted flying over it regularly.
Birds Fly Over Water for Food
One of the main reasons birds fly over water is to find food. Fish, amphibians, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and more live in freshwater and saltwater habitats. Birds have evolved specialized skills to hunt over water and catch prey.
Wading birds like herons and egrets patiently stalk shallow waters to spear fish with their sharp beaks. Kingfishers dive from perches to grab unsuspecting fish. Gulls, terns, and skimmers fly over the ocean and use their beaks to snatch up schooling fish that swim near the surface. Pelicans soar over the sea and plunge dive to catch prey in their stretchable throat pouches. Diving birds like loons, cormorants, and mergansers swim underwater to pursue fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Shorebirds have bills designed to probe wet sand and mud for buried mollusks, worms, and other small creatures. Dabbling ducks tip upside down and stick their tails up to feed on plants and animals below the water’s surface. Water supports an abundance of life that attracts and sustains many bird species.
Birds Need to Drink
In addition to finding food around water, another obvious reason birds fly over water sources is to drink. Just like all animals, birds require fresh water for hydration and survival. Their lightweight, streamlined bodies are prone to dehydration, so they must actively seek out water on a daily basis.
Some birds obtain moisture through their food, but most get the majority of their water from ponds, lakes, streams, and other freshwater sources. Seabirds have adapted to drink salty seawater through specialized glands that filter and concentrate the salt. Flying over water allows many avian species to quickly spot places to land and quench their thirst when needed.
Stopover Sites During Migration
Bodies of water serve as important stopover sites for migratory birds that travel huge distances seasonally between breeding and wintering grounds. Oceans, lakes, rivers, and wetlands provide places for these birds to rest and replenish their energy during migration.
For example, shorebirds migrating from Arctic nesting areas down to South America may stop at coastal mudflats and estuaries along their journey to feed heartily on invertebrates and build up fat reserves. Warblers and songbirds crossing large lakes or oceans will make important refueling stops on small islands. Waterfowl travelling between wintering and breeding grounds use wetlands across continents to eat, rest, and socialize in safety.
Migrating birds depend on finding suitable habitat around water to successfully complete their arduous journeys. This explains why so many species concentrate along coasts and inland waterways during migration.
Shelter and Safety
Bodies of water often provide shelter and relative safety from predators for many wetland bird species. Tall reeds in marshes allow secretive bitterns and rails to hide from danger. Dense cattail stands give cover for ducks and geese to roost at night. Herons and egrets nest high in trees on secluded islands. Pelicans breed on isolated coastal islands away from mammalian predators.
The water itself acts as a barrier and escape route from predators like foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and birds of prey. If threatened on the ground, ducks and geese can rapidly take off and flee across water. Overall, wetlands furnish secure nesting and roosting places for numerous waterbirds. Their survival hinges on finding and utilizing such undisturbed aquatic habitats.
Dispersion and Range Expansion
Birds flying over bodies of water contributes to the dispersion and range expansion of avian species. Birds originally evolved from theropod dinosaurs near inland freshwater habitats over 150 million years ago in the Jurassic period. Since then, birds have diversified and spread around the world by flying over seas and across oceans to colonize new areas.
For instance, ancestors of penguins evolved flight and dispersed from tropical regions to Antarctica by the Late Cretaceous period around 60 million years ago. Many songbirds reached Hawaii from North America in the last 5 million years by making perilous overwater flights. Today, winds and ocean currents continue to carry seabirds like albatrosses and shearwaters vast distances to new islands and shores.
Water barriers do not completely inhibit bird distributions. Given their exceptional flying abilities, birds frequently overcome aquatic obstacles between suitable habitats. This has allowed avian diversity to flourish globally across both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems.
Navigation and Orientation
For birds that migrate or travel long distances, large water bodies provide vital navigation cues and aids. The consistent direction of ocean waves, shorelines, river systems, lake edges, and other aquatic landmarks helps guide birds over vast remote areas.
Studies show migrating songbirds orient themselves using sunlight reflected off waves and correct for wind drift blowing them off course over oceans. Seabirds rely on smelling DMS compounds released by plankton to locate productive fishing waters across the open sea. When exhausted or stranded during migration, birds can follow rivers and coasts to find their way back to land and suitable rest stops.
Water features in the landscape facilitate navigation for birds covering great distances. This selective pressure has driven the evolution of amazing sensory capabilities and orientation mechanisms in birds.
Aquatic Habitat Loss
As human activities increase globally, aquatic bird habitats are declining and becoming degraded. Wetlands are drained and filled for agriculture and development. Pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and wastewater decreases water quality. Overfishing depletes food sources. Disturbance from boats and recreation pressures birds away from shorelines and sensitive nesting islands.
Species like terns, puffins, storks, flamingos, and many others are threatened by destruction of the aquatic ecosystems they rely on for survival. While birds can fly long distances, they ultimately depend on a network of healthy wetland stopovers to complete migrations and breed successfully. Their future depends on maintaining and restoring critical aquatic habitats across diverse landscapes and regions.
Appreciating Birds Over Water
There is something majestic about witnessing birds gliding and soaring gracefully over lakes, rivers, wetlands, and oceans. People cherish the sight of pelicans skimming over ocean swells, puffins returning to cliffside nests with beaks full of fish, or skeins of snow geese arriving at coastal estuaries. Besides representing freedom, seeing birds thrive over water provides humans with a sense of tranquility and uplifting joy.
As an important interface between terrestrial and aquatic realms, wetlands allow people to experience the wonder of both worlds coming together. Watching eagles dive for fish or loons yodeling across misty lakes invokes feelings of primal wildness and renewal. The link between birds and water runs deep as sources of life, sustenance, and the spiritual connection to nature for many cultures over centuries. Conserving wetlands preserves this special magic.
Conclusion
In summary, birds commonly flying over lakes, rivers, wetlands, seas, and other water bodies is perfectly natural and expected. The aquatic realm provides birds with essential food resources, drinking water, migration stopover habitat, shelter from predators, dispersion opportunities, and navigational cues for finding their way over long distances. Humans find great enjoyment and meaning seeing diverse waterbirds thrive in healthy wetland habitats. Protecting aquatic ecosystems will ensure future generations can experience the wonder of birds flying over water.
