Sea birds following ships is a phenomenon that has been observed for centuries. There are certain species of seabirds, such as albatrosses and petrels, that are known to trail after ships for days at a time. This behavior most likely developed as an evolutionary advantage, allowing the birds to scavenge food scraps and waste discarded from vessels. The crossword clue “What sea birds follow ships” refers to identifying these specific types of seabirds that exhibit this trailing behavior. In this article, we will explore what types of seabirds follow ships, why they do it, and some key facts about these fascinating birds of the open ocean.
What Types of Seabirds Follow Ships?
There are several seabird species known for following ships in search of food:
Albatrosses
Albatrosses are large seabirds in the family Diomedeidae. They have long, narrow wings suited for gliding and exploited wind patterns. Several albatross species are known to trail after ships in the Southern Hemisphere oceans, including:
– Wandering albatross
– Black-browed albatross
– Gray-headed albatross
– Light-mantled albatross
Some key facts on ship-following albatross species:
| Species | Wingspan | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Wandering albatross | 3.7 m | 1.5 m |
| Black-browed albatross | 2.4 m | 90 cm |
| Gray-headed albatross | 2.2 m | 90 cm |
| Light-mantled albatross | 2.3 m | 84 cm |
Petrels
Petrels are medium-sized seabirds in the family Procellariidae. They include the shearwaters, fulmars, prions, and gadfly petrels. Examples of ship-following petrel species:
– Cape petrel
– Great shearwater
– Sooty shearwater
– Wilson’s storm petrel
Some key facts on ship-following petrel species:
| Species | Wingspan | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Cape petrel | 1.6 m | 50 cm |
| Great shearwater | 1.2 m | 46 cm |
| Sooty shearwater | 1.1 m | 40 cm |
| Wilson’s storm petrel | 0.6 m | 20 cm |
Gulls
Gulls are smaller relatives of sea birds that also partake in ship-following, including:
– Kelp gull
– Lesser black-backed gull
– Herring gull
Some key facts on ship-following gull species:
| Species | Wingspan | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Kelp gull | 1.5 m | 60 cm |
| Lesser black-backed gull | 1.4 m | 55 cm |
| Herring gull | 1.5 m | 55 cm |
Why Do Seabirds Follow Ships?
There are two main reasons seabirds trail after ships:
Foraging for Food
The primary reason is to scavenge for food. Ships discard organic waste and scraps into their wake. This provides an easy source of nutrition for opportunistic seabirds. They will dynamically soar behind ships for days, effortlessly riding the air currents and Wake Wing energy created by the vessel. This allows seabirds to expend minimal effort while searching for food.
For Navigation
Seabirds are pelagic, spending most of their lives roaming the open oceans far from land. Ships give the birds a moving object to follow and provide a sense of direction. The vessel’s course through the water gives the seabirds navigational cues while they are foraging.
Interesting Facts About Ship-Following Seabirds
Here are some fascinating facts about the seabirds that follow ships:
– Albatrosses have evolved to sleep while flying. They cruise behind ships sleeping and wake just to feed.
– Cape petrels are excellent ship followers. Their name comes from following ships rounding Cape Horn.
– Great shearwaters migrate over 40,000 km annually, the longest migration of any bird.
– Seabirds follow the pressure waves created by ships’ hulls through a sense called dynamic soaring.
– Even though ships may travel 400+ km per day, seabirds keep pace through wing lock soaring and gust soaring.
– Petrels follow ships at night, albatrosses by day. Their foraging patterns partition the ship’s wake resources.
– Wilson’s storm petrels are the smallest ship-following seabirds at only 20 cm long. They patter on the water while feeding.
– Gulls are least specialized for ship following. Their smaller size limits their ability to dynamically soar.
– Oil spills from ships can foul seabirds’ feathers causing hypothermia. Ship discharge regulations help protect seabirds.
– Seabirds used to be injured by coming too close to ships. Now radar reflectors and bird scarers warn seabirds away.
Researching Ship-Following Seabirds
Scientists have used ships as research platforms to study seabirds:
– Ornithologists band seabirds on ships to track migration routes and life spans.
– Survey transects measure seabird populations across ocean regions.
– On-board experiments reveal how albatrosses exploit wind gradients behind ships.
– Biologging tags attach to seabirds from ships to record time budgets and foraging.
– DNA and feather samples collected shipside identify seabird breeding origins.
– Parasite loads of seabirds following ships provide data on ocean food webs.
– Stable isotope analysis of birds behind ships helps trace marine biomass flow.
– Camera traps on vessels capture seabird adaptations like plunge diving for food.
So ships provide access to seabirds allowing advances in our ecological knowledge of these wide-ranging ocean travelers.
Conclusion
In summary, the sea birds that follow ships are albatrosses, petrels and certain gull species. Their ship-trailing behavior evolved to forage on food discards while exploiting the air currents behind vessels. This allows seabirds to conserve energy during long oceanic migrations and extended foraging trips. Understanding the ecology of ship-following seabirds continues through scientific studies conducted aboard research vessels. So next time you spy seabirds effortlessly cruising in the wake of a passing ship, you’ll know these fascinating facts about their ocean-wandering lifestyles.
