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University of Central Florida University of Central Florida
STARS STARS
CEELAB Children's Books Coastal and Estuary Ecology Lab (CEELAB)
2017
Beak and seek : hungry birds depend on oysters reefs Beak and seek : hungry birds depend on oysters reefs
Linda Walters University of Central Florida
Joshua Sacks
Paul Sacks
Michelle Shaffer
Owen Fasolas
Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ceelabbooks
University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu
This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Coastal and Estuary Ecology Lab (CEELAB) at STARS. It
has been accepted for inclusion in CEELAB Children's Books by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more
information, please contact [email protected].
STARS Citation STARS Citation Walters, Linda; Sacks, Joshua; Sacks, Paul; Shaffer, Michelle; and Fasolas, Owen, "Beak and seek : hungry birds depend on oysters reefs" (2017). CEELAB Children's Books. 7. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/ceelabbooks/7
This book is dedicated to our good friend, John Stiner. John worked for many years as the resource management specialist for
Canaveral National Seashore, located on the east coast of Central Florida. Always positive, he inspired and taught us the importance of oyster reefs
and the beauty of coastal birds. Thanks John!
About the authors: Dr. Linda Walters and Dr. Paul Sacks have spent more than 20 years studying and restoring oyster reefs in the Indian River Lagoon on the east coast of Florida. In collaboration with many local agencies, more than 57,000 volunteers have participated in preparing materials and deployment events for their oyster reef and living shoreline stabilization projects. Walters is also a Pegasus Professor of Biology at the University of Central Florida, and Sacks teaches chemistry at Winter Springs High School. Josh Sacks, their son, has been their favorite field assistant since he was old enough to walk. Now 20 years old, Josh is working toward his undergraduate degree in chemistry and marine science at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Michelle Shaffer received her undergraduate degree in biology from UCF and is the lead field technician in Walters' laboratory. For more information on this and the seven other children's books on marine conservation produced by Walters, please contact her at [email protected]
About the artist: Owen Fasolas is an artist and designer from Winter Park, Florida. Specializing in illustrations and digital design, Owen works to bring local business, wildlife, sports and entertainment to life through his art.
We thank the following individuals for scientific and editorial review: M. Donnelly, J. Elliott, N. Elliott, W. Gray, N. Hinkle, R. Hinkle, G. Kruckemyer, M. Paduani, M. La Peyre, J. Manis, D. McNeil, L. Morris, J. Stiner and W. Yuan.
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The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is an animal with a hinged pair of shells, known as a bivalve mollusk. Oysters are considered a keystone species because they perform so many important services for the ecosystem. Each oyster can filter out small particles of detritus and plankton, cleaning up to 50 gallons of water per day. In addition, oysters reduce shoreline erosion, provide food and refuge for many animals, and help remove excess nutrients from the water, which have been linked to harmful algal blooms.
White ibis (Eudocimus a/bus) are social birds and are rarely seen alone. Because of their beauty, drawings of ibises were often found on ancient Egyptian tombs. They probe into the sediment or shallow water with their large curved beaks to find and consume insects and small crustaceans.
Green heron (Butorides striatus) stand still and sometimes drop small objects such as sticks and feathers or bits of food into the water to attract fish. Green herons are one of the only birds known to use tools and tricks for feeding.
Willets (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus) eat small crabs, marine worms and some plant material. They feed by walking along the water's edge with their beaks in the mud or water, probing until they find food.
Scaly-necked woodstorks (Mycteria americana) are classified as a federally threatened species. Woodstorks walk slowly and steadily through shallow waters stirring up the water just enough to flush out prey. Their large beaks, already open in the water, snap shut within 25 milliseconds when they detect prey. This is one of the fastest reaction times of any vertebrate animal. Wood storks consume a diverse array of prey, including fish and insects.
The roseate spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja, state of Florida designated threatened species) stands out in a crowd of birds due to its beautiful pink coloration that becomes even more intense during breeding season. Spoonbills feed by moving their paddle-shaped beaks back and forth sideways through the water. It snaps its beak closed when it detects the prey movement.
Black skimmers (Rynchaps niger, state of Florida designated threatened species) are usually seen in flocks either resting on land or flying low above the water's surface. When feeding, the black skimmer flies so low over the water that the lower half of its beak penetrates the surface. When it touches a fish, it snaps its bill closed and consumes the prey.
Reddish egret (Egretta rufescens, state of Florida designated threatened species) hunt by actively running around in shallow water. Their movements have been described to resemble a person chasing a hat that has been blown off by the wind. Reddish egrets are visual predators, using their eyes to find fish, crustaceans and insects, while angling their wings to create shadows to reduce glare.
The majestic great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a solitary predator. While remaining in one location, it hunts by sight and swallows prey whole. Common prey items include shrimp, crabs, insects and fish. '
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus, state of Florida species of special concern) dive from the air and use their strong feet to catch unsuspecting fish swimming near the surface. When carrying fish prey, osprey orient the fish head to face forward to reduce wind resistance.
Flocks of brown pelican (Pe/ecanus occidenta/is) can frequently be seen flying in V-shaped formations. To feed, they individually dive from the sky, hitting the water beak first. When their long beak and large throat pouch is full, they tip their heads back to drain out excess water in hopes of catching fish. If they are successful hunters, they immediately swallow the fish whole.
American oystercatchers (Haematopus pal/iatus, state of Florida designated threatened species), with their striking black heads and orange beaks, feed on worms, snails and bivalve mollusks. To consume mollusks, including oysters, birds will sneak up on an open oyster that is filter-feeding, stick their beaks between the two shells of the oyster, and slice through the oyster's adductor muscles. This usually works well, but occasionally the bird's bill gets stuck!
