Wings Near the Water Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shore Waders

The godwit is a shorebird with a very long bill on a tiny head, and skinny long legs. It strolls along the shore, picking at food or shoving its bill into the mud to dig out invertebrates, leeches and worms. Bar-tailed godwits go the distance, migrating nonstop 8-10 days without eating, drinking or resting their wings.

Godwit populations are dwindling because they nest on the ground in wetlands, mud flats, salt ponds and beaches, where recent repeated change in water levels, invasive predators, increasing tourists and habitat loss are taking a toll. Humans are re-creating wetland networks to protect and shelter these charming waders. "Godwit" may derive from Old English meaning "good creature". We don't know if they meant good flyers, a deity-like brain, or tasty.

Answer: Shore Waders

Sandpipers are brown or grey long-legged shore birds, in the family Scolopacidae along with snipes and woodcocks. There's some evidence these adorable, speedy little birds existed alongside the dinosaurs.

The bill has special receptors in the tip, so the bird can stick it into mud or sand and feel around for invertebrates (animals without a backbone, like slugs and snails). Sandpipers can move the bones of the upper jaw and skull, perhaps so they can adjust the bill while it is still in the ground or underwater. Sandpipers are speedy in the air too, with a streamlined body and narrow wings.

Answer: Sky Plunge

The common kingfisher (Alcedo) is a small, crested, orange and blue bird found in many countries. This bird can dive headfirst into the water at 40kph (25mph) over and over, without getting a headache or a concussion! Scientists are very interested in how this is possible.

Kingfishers grab targeted insects, reptiles, or fish in a brief moment underwater, then burst back into the air. They are known to inhabit only healthy water systems, which must have natural banks with foliage so they can nest. Rather like the canary in the coal mine alerting miners to noxious gases, an absence of kingfishers may signal the water is foul.

Answer: Swims

Mute swans are much quieter than other swans. These large, beautiful, white waterfowl have an orange bill. They forage by swimming and floating in shallow areas, then "tip" their heads underwater to tear off aquatic plants. They must eat massive amounts to get enough nutrition, sometimes stripping a pond entirely. Being quite heavy, this swan has to run across the water beating it with huge wings to lift off. Males can be protective, hissing and snorting.

They were brought to the USA as an "ornamental", being extraordinary in grace and beauty. But now some locations declare them invasive or even illegal. People plant inedible aquatics, or use herder dogs, to keep away swans they see as bothersome.

Answer: Swims

Loons (Gaviiformes) are called divers in the UK because they dip underwater like ducks. Diving from the surface, loons are fantastic underwater swimmers, with wings held close and large webbed feet set like oars far to each side. They can stay underwater only five minutes, but swim expertly up to 200 feet down, catching fish, frogs, snails or crayfish.

The name loon derives either from its clumsiness on land, or its call, unrelated to the moon "luna" as in lunatic and looney. We do say "a cry of loons", "an asylum of loons", and "crazy as a loon" likely because their cry is eerie and haunting.

Since speeding boats often run over or drown chicks, many places ban speeding close to shore, and also ban lead shot and sinkers which poison these unique and beloved birds. In Canada they are a federally protected species, and are a threatened species in some US states.

Answer: Sky Plunge

The brown pelican is a big, bulky water bird that can spot a fish from 70 feet (21 meters) above, while soaring overhead on massive wings. They dive straight into the water, protected by air sacs under the skin, then scoop up prey using a skin pouch attached to their bill. Pelicans eat mostly mullet, carp and other "rough" varieties people don't like to eat.

Still, they are often illegally hunted or killed, get ensnared on fishing lines and hooks, and their mangrove nesting grounds rot from oil spills. Curiously perhaps, given how we continue to treat them, the magnificent brown pelican is a protected species.

Answer: Sky Plunge

A tern is a seabird in the same family as a gull (Laridae), though the Sandwich tern is much more slender with a black crest, a shiny black bill with yellow tip, and a long, forked tail.

The Sandwich plunges into shallow seas from as much as 25 feet (7.62 meters) above, to hunt small schooling fish, squid or insects at or just below the surface. They tend to hunt alone, despite living in big colonies. They range worldwide, but are called "Sandwich" after the UK town where they were first classified.

There's also an elegant tern, not surprisingly, as in flight terns are quite lovely. Males court a female by bringing her a little present, perhaps a fish, then there's an aerial display where males try to follow and copy the acrobatics of the female. Males who fail drop away, while the most acrobatic male does an air ballet with his new partner.

There are around 40 species of tern, including the infamous common tern, known to dive-bomb people and predators. Although the Sandwich is mild mannered, it can hang around with assertive sorts at times, to reap the rewards, so be sure to identity your tern before assigning blame.

Answer: Sky Plunge

The masked booby (gannet family, Sulidae) lives in tropical oceans, nesting on atolls or islands in deep water. They circle as a flock above the water, then turn downwards as one and plunge at high speed into the sea together from 100 feet (30m) up. Like some other sky bombers they have protective air sacs under their skin which cushion impact.

This white bird has dark wings, tail and face, so it looks like it's wearing a face mask. Regrettably, the name "booby" seems to derive from Spanish, meaning stupid, because they innocently land on ships, where they are often served for supper.

To partner, a male calls for a lady, then he marches around her exaggerating his steps, or lifts a leg to show off his foot. Oh yes, he knows those feet are amazing. He gives her magnificent gifts like coral, sticks, feathers and rocks, which she uses to line her nest. Boobies nest on the ground in clear areas, making them vulnerable to predators. Though overly-trusting, they do attack when threatened. Perhaps that, and their stunning flying skills, is why they haven't gone the way of the extinct simpleton called the dodo.

Answer: Shore Waders

Rails are known around the world, except Antarctica. They have powerful legs and long toes so they can scurry along on the surfaces of marshes, flooded fields or rice paddy vegetation. The yellow rail is a small black, brown, white and yellow wading bird. They run fast and lightly through the marshes of the upper USA and Canada, with night migration to the southern coasts and Mexico in winter. Little is known about them, as they are shy and clever at hiding, especially in daylight.

At night they make a metallic click sound, repeated many times. Scraping sounds or raspy cries are the source of the name "rail". Scientists think they pick at plants and in the water for spiders, worms and seeds, but are sure. It is believed that the male courts by flicking his tail and chasing the female. The yellow rail occupants of central Mexico may be extinct due to loss of habitat, but this bird is so secretive, able to walk across waters we cannot access, that we truly don't know.

Answer: Shore Waders

Plovers are small shore/wading birds of the large family Charadriidae, ranging around the world, and roosting in groups. Snowy plovers scurry across sandy beaches or salt flats looking for beetles, flies, worms and larvae. This amusing, crow-sized, buff bird with white chest and belly, a white neck ring and a black bill is in decline.

The plover has a run-stop-peck-shuffle foraging habit called a hunting dance used to startle prey into showing itself. It's entertaining to watch snowy plovers run first into and then away from ocean waves. The birds race in to scoop up dinner the waves wash in, then dash to shore ahead of the next wave.

Like many shore birds they will fake an injury, dragging one wing and calling loudly for help, hoping a predator follows them away from the nest. This may be the father, as mom often leaves him to raise the chicks while she goes to start a new family. This isn't so bad, since chicks are quite independent almost upon hatching.

Plovers as a species are struggling, due to beachfront development and recreation, invasive grass, and dogs and cars destroying their eggs. Resourceful, but perhaps unlucky, birds use human footprints or even car tracks to nest in. Some places now block off plover breeding areas or encase nests in cages to protect them.

Answer: Shore Waders

The oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) is a crow-sized, black or black and white shore wader with an orange beak and pinkish legs. Searching for oysters in large flocks, seen mainly on Australian, US Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches, dunes and wetlands, they chirp, scream or chatter, "Kleep! Kleep!"

Two females and a male may tend the eggs, incubated by both sexes. They hammer on an oyster to get it open, then cut the muscles and scrape out the contents. They also eat jellyfish, urchins, worms, crabs and clams. As they usually nest well above high tide, the species seems to be doing okay.

Answer: Swims

Penguins live only in the southern hemisphere, except for the Galapagos penguin, and these birds do not fly.

The little blue penguin lives in New Zealand and southern regions of Australia. They spend most of their lives in the water, swimming at high speeds and diving from the surface or leaping off an ice cliff to dive underwater up to 30 feet (nine meters).

The larger emperor penguin has special bones that allow it to tolerate water pressure as deep as 1,850 feet (563 meters). They can swim in the freezing underwater cold for about 20 minutes, searching tor squid, krill and fish.

Answer: Swims

There are four species of puffin, who may look different but they all swim underwater to feed, and they nest underground or in crevices in the rocks. Except in the breeding season they stay far out to sea, riding, swimming and underwater "flying" through the ocean, using their feet to steer.

From the ocean surface they dive from 50 to 200 feet (15-60 meters) to chase small fish. Atlantic puffins are so friendly that tourists can sign up to swim with them.

At about six weeks baby puffins need to follow moonlight from the nest into the ocean, but can be disoriented by city lights. In Iceland people have a "puffin toss", gently lofting chicks into the sea to give them a good start.

Answer: Swims

The great crested grebe is seen all over the planet, primarily in Europe's calmer waters. They have a colorful head and big webbed feet that make swimming underwater a breeze, preferable to flying, but those feet are awkward on land.

This grebe does an impressive dance on the water surface to court a mate.

Answer: Sky Plunge

We can see osprey hawks across the planet. They eat only fish so their spectacular ability to plunge from as much as 40m (131 feet) above the water to catch a fish just one meter (just over three feet) below the surface is a master skill.

They have a special eyelids they can close over their eyes like goggles, soaring downward with outstretched feet bearing barbed soles and powerful talons, earning them a 70% success rate nabbing a fish. Then their powerful, narrow and waterproof wings are able to lift them and their prey back into the air.

Osprey live 15 to 20 years and migrate great distances.