Birds of the Bay

There are many birds that spent at least part of the year near

the Chesapeake Bay.

Birds of the Bay

We will take a look at some of the birds that

depend on the Chesapeake.

Bald Eagle

The bald eagle is a large raptor that requires large

trees for nesting and perching.

Bald Eagle

The trees must be in areas where

human activity is limited.

Bald Eagle

Nests can be up to six feet in

diameter and weigh hundreds

of pounds.

Bald Eagle

Bald eagles eat fish when

available and there was once 3000 breeding

pairs in the Chesapeake watershed.

Virginia Rail

A secretive bird that is found in the salt mashes of our area. You may not see it,

but you’ll hear it!

Virginia Rail

They feed on insects, fish, frogs, aquatic

invertebrates like crabs, and even small snakes.

Virginia Rail

A rail can swim under water,

propelling itself with its wings.

Virginia Rail

They build numerous

“dummy nests” in addition to the

one where eggs are actually laid.

Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron stands four feet tall and has a

wingspan of more than six

feet.

Great Blue Heron

This heron hunts in protected,

shallow coves in the

Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Great Blue Heron

They make a strange

prehistoric sound as they fly by at night

or when startled.

Great Blue Heron

They feed on small fish,

shellfish, small birds, rodents

and even snakes.

Great Blue Heron

Herons are well adapted to the

presence of humans and

shoreline development, yet nesting colonies are vulnerable.

The Gulls

The gulls belong to a family of

shorebirds that contain 51 species.

The Gulls

There are four gulls common to the bay region. The laughing

gull, ring-billed gull, great black-backed gull and the herring gull.

The Gulls

They are typically found close to land and most

have adapted to eat most things.

The Gulls

They often use gravity to crack

open tough shells of their

prey.

The Gulls

Gulls are even found in parking lots where they look for bits of

food.

Cormorants

Cormorants are diving birds that

often hunt for fish in packs or

flocks.

Cormorants

Cormorants lack well developed oil glands and spend much

time drying their wings.

Cormorants

In the winter they can be seen on the power poles

as you cross the James

River.

Brown Pelican

The brown pelican has become

more common in our area in the last 10 or 15

years.

Brown Pelican

The banning of DDT seems to

have helped the pelican’s return as it did other large birds.

Brown Pelican

Pelican nest are built on the

ground where the male and female can

spend over a week building

this nest.

Brown Pelican

The female pelican will usually lay 2 or

3 eggs.

The pelican will put its webbed feet over the eggs to keep them warm.

Brown Pelican

This pelican is a plunge diver. It uses its bill and

pouch as a net to catch fish.

The brown pelican is the only pelican to

do this.

Brown Pelican

These are one of the largest water birds

you will see in Virginia and they can often be seen

flying in a V or straight formation along the water.

Canada Goose

The sound of the Canada goose

is familiar in the bay region during the fall.

Canada Goose

Once, these birds were rare in our area, but now they are found in large numbers much

of the year.

Canada Goose

These birds which eat grains and

water plants can often be seen enjoying corn and wheat in

harvested fields.

Canada Goose

Canada geese mate for life,

and can live for up to 25 years.

Osprey

The osprey is the only diurnal bird

of prey that feeds exclusively on

live fish.

Osprey

Osprey usually return to Virginia in late March to nest after spending the

winter in the tropical rainforests of South America.

Osprey

Ospreys prefer to nest on over-water

structures like channel markers.

Osprey

Ospreys are spectacular divers as they descend

into the water after their prey.

Osprey

They often submerge completely under

water in their quest for fish. They use their long sharp

talons to hold on to the fish.

Ducks

The bay supports many kinds of ducks. Most of these are found here in the winter, but not all.

Ducks

A common winter visitor in the

bufflehead which an energetic

diving duck that feeds on SAV,

and small invertebrates.

Ducks

Like many winter visitors,

buffleheads summer breeding

grounds are in Canada where

they nest in woodland ponds.

Ducks

The Mallard is probably the

most common duck in the

Chesapeake Bay region.

Ducks

Mallards often nest here in the

summer where they like to feed

on SAV and small

invertebrates.