Waterfowls: English Vocabulary List

a wading bird with mottled brown plumage, known for its booming call, and its ability to blend into marshland habitats

"The bittern hides in reeds."

"The elusive bittern's booming call echoes across the marsh, a sound rarely heard by human ears."

a large water bird with a long beak and a throat pouch that has grayish white plumage

"The pelican scooped up water and fish in its large beak."

"The pelican's throat pouch can hold up to three gallons of water when scooping up fish."

a large bird of the heron family that lives near water and has white feathers that get long during the breeding season

"The egret stands motionless in shallow water waiting for fish."

"The egret's long delicate plumes were once highly prized for decorating fashionable women's hats."

a plover that has a large crest, black-and-white feathers and a wailing cry, with an irregular wingbeat

"The lapwing performs dramatic aerial displays during breeding season."

"The lapwing performs dramatic tumbling flights and calls loudly to distract predators from its ground nest."

a grayish white aquatic bird with webbed feet and long wings

"The seagull stole the man's sandwich."

"The seagull snatched a french fry from the tourist's hand and flew away before anyone could react."

a very large white seabird with long narrow wings found mainly in Southern Ocean and North Pacific

"The albatross glides for hours without flapping its wings."

"The albatross spends most of its life flying over the ocean and can travel thousands of miles."

a mid-sized aquatic bird with black plumage and a red bill

"Moorhens swim with jerky head movements while foraging."

"The moorhen swims with a jerky head movement and has a distinctive red beak shield."

a black-and-white shorebird with red eyes and a strong orange bill that feeds on shellfish

"The oystercatcher uses its orange bill to pry open shellfish."

"The oystercatcher uses its long orange bill to pry open mussels and oysters on rocky shores."

a web-footed shorebird with long legs and a bill that is curved upward

"The avocet sweeps its curved beak side to side in the water."

"The avocet sweeps its upturned bill side to side through shallow water to catch small crustaceans."

an aquatic bird that can also dive underwater, with a long neck, lobed toes and a crest

"Grebes build floating nests attached to aquatic plants."

"The grebe builds a floating nest anchored to aquatic plants and carries its young on its back."

a tropical seabird with dark plumage and a long hooked beak, the male of which has a red inflatable throat pouch

"Frigate birds steal food from other birds in midair."

"The frigate bird has a huge red throat pouch that it inflates like a balloon to attract females."

a mid-sized aquatic bird that is all black with a white beak and forehead

"The coot swam across the pond."

"The coot has distinctive white facial shield and lobed toes that help it swim efficiently."

a large aquatic bird with long legs and neck, pink plumage and a broad bill curved downward that lives near warm waters

"The flamingo stood on one leg in the water."

"The flamingo's pink color comes from pigments in the shrimp and algae that it eats regularly."

a large bird of passage with a long downcurved bill and a two-note call

"The curlew probes deep mud with its long curved bill."

"The curlew has a very long curved bill that it uses to probe mud for worms and crabs."

a wading bird with long legs and a long bill and neck, often nesting on high buildings

"Storks build large stick nests on chimneys and rooftops."

"The white stork builds large stick nests on chimneys and rooftops throughout European villages."

a small marine bird of the gull family with a slender build and narrow pointed wings

"Terns plunge into the water from heights to catch small fish."

"The tern dives spectacularly into the water from heights of up to forty feet to catch fish."

a long-legged wading bird with a downcurved bill that lives near warm waters

"The sacred ibis was worshipped by ancient Egyptians."

"The sacred ibis was worshipped by ancient Egyptians who mummified millions of these birds."

a small shorebird with a short hard-tipped bill and a stout build

"A plover searched for food."

"The stout plover with its short bill diligently pecked at the sand, searching for small invertebrates along the shoreline."

a large tropical seabird with brightly colored feet, that is closely related to gannets

"The booby has blue feet."

"The blue footed booby performs an elaborate mating dance that involves lifting its bright blue feet."

a small bird with a large crested head, orange and blue plumage and a long beak that uses to catch fish

"The kingfisher dove into the water to catch a fish."

"The kingfisher dove headfirst into the water emerging with a small fish clasped firmly in its beak."

a small northern seabird with a large colorful beak and black-and-white color that dives to find food

"Puffins carry several small fish crosswise in their colorful beaks."

"The puffin's colorful beak fades to a duller color during winter and brightens again each spring."

a wading bird with a long neck and long legs that has a pointed bill and soft grayish white plumage

"The heron stands like a statue until prey swims too close."

"The heron stands motionless in shallow water waiting patiently for an unsuspecting fish to swim near."

a large aquatic bird with dark feathers, webbed feet, a hooked bill and a throat pouch

"Cormorants spread their wings to dry after diving for fish."

"The cormorant dives from the surface and uses its webbed feet to pursue fish underwater."

a large pinkish wading bird with long legs and a beak that is wide and flat at the end

"The spoonbill swings its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water."

"The spoonbill swings its distinctive spoon shaped bill side to side through muddy water to catch prey."

a large bird that is normally white, has a long neck and lives on or around water

"A swan floated on the lake."

"Swans typically mate for life and both parents participate in building the nest and raising their young cygnets until they are ready to leave."

a species of dabbling duck characterized by its vibrant plumage, including an iridescent green head, yellow bill, and rich chestnut breast

"The mallard duck quacks loudly while paddling across the pond."

"The mallard is the most familiar wild duck species from which most domestic ducks descended."