What Are Seabirds?
Seabirds are birds that spend almost all their time on or near the sea. They are medium-sized to large birds; most are between the size of a robin and a crow. They get all their food from the water. Some spend the winter at sea, several hundred miles from land. Seabirds come to land to raise the young birds each summer. They nest on protected cliffs or islands, often in dense groups called colonies. Seabirds have special adaptations that allow them to live at sea and get all their food there. Some eat small fish or shrimp-like invertebrates called zooplankton, which they catch from the sea. Seabirds such as kittiwakes pick their prey from the water’s surface. Others, such as auks and cormorants, dive for their prey and chase it underwater. Who Are Alaska’s Seabirds? Many of Alaska’s seabird species also nest across the Arctic, from Canada to Norway. But eight species nest only in Alaska and in nearby parts of Russia. These include the Red-faced Cormorant, the Red-legged Kittiwake, and
