Animals

Common Hill Myna

The Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), sometimes spelled "mynah" and formerly simply known as Hill Myna, is the myna most commonly seen in aviculture, where it is often simply referred to by the latter two names.

There are 12 known sub-species of Hill Mynahs. The Java Hill (Gracula religiosa religiosa) and the Greater Indian Hill (Gracula religiosa intermedia) mynahs are the ones most remembered being seen in pet stores in the United States, before the import ban took place. Some types of Hill mynahs are protected and cannot be found in bird markets or pet stores around the world.

The glossy black plumage is basically the same in all Hill races and when struck by the light you see a sheen of iridescent purple, turquoise and green. All have similar bright yellow wattles but the wattle pattern varies and a bright orange beak that fades to yellow at the tip, resembling "candy corn". There's a band of white across each wing. The legs and feet are yellow. Immature Hill mynahs look like the adults but the plumage is not usually dull and may even have a ragged appearance, for not having gone through the first molt.

Hill mynahs once preferred living in hill forests from a range beginning at about 1000 feet and up to 5000 feet and more, but because of deforestation, they now reside beginning at sea level in lowland forests. They prefer areas of high rainfall and humidity and spend most of their lives in trees, inhabiting dense jungle forests. Though most live in trees on the forest edge, some races are found on tea and coffee plantations where there are lots of large flowering shade trees, and in mangroves.

The Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle owl resident in much of Europe and Asia. It is also one of the largest types of owls.

The Eagle Owl is a large and powerful bird, smaller than the Golden Eagle but larger than the Snowy Owl. It is sometimes titled the world’s largest owl, but so is the Blakiston’s Fish Owl, which is slightly bigger on average.

The Eurasian Eagle Owl is an old world owl found in all parts of Europe and the Middle east as well as on the African continent. It is a very hardy owl able to breed in the arid Sahara and Arabian deserts, the jungles of equatorial Africa, as well as in the northern reaches of Siberia. When possible the Eagle Owl prefers to nest near woodlands, with level land and tree lined waterways.

The call of the Eagle Owl is a deep resonant “ooh-hu” with emphasis on the first syllable for the male, and a more high-pitched uh-Hu for the female (in German and Hungarian, the name of this bird is “Uhu” and the Dutch name is “Oehoe”). Each member of an Eagle Owl population can be identified by means of its vocalizations.
The size, ear tufts and orange eyes make this a distinctive species. It has a strong direct flight. The ear tufts of males are more upright than those of females.
In the wild, the eagle owl is an opportunistic hunter and feeds on mice, rats, rabbit, squirrels and birds. It will take any prey that is not larger than itself. It has been said that they are able to take a small roe deer when the occasion arises. Since birds do not have a sense of smell, they are not adverse to also consuming skunks for food. The eagle owl swallows its food whole, whenever possible, ingesting fur or feathers, bone and meat. It then regurgitates a pellet discarding what its body does not require.
The eagle owl nests in late January or early February. Their clutch of eggs usually consists of from one to four, depending on the amount of food available. The male is very attentive to the female, bringing all the food that is necessary, while the female tends the nest, sitting very close on the eggs and the young. Most females are so conscientious that they do not leave the nest until the young have grown to a good size. Despite the fact that the male appears as though he is interested in seeing the young, the female feeds her young beneath her breast feathers until the young are large enough and, in many cases the male first sees them when they fall out of the nest due to their large size. This presents no problem to the parents, who manage to take care of the feeding of the young on the ground, while keeping predators at bay. It has been rumored in bird lore, that even a bear will give a wide berth to an eagle owl.

The Little Owl (Athene noctua) is a bird which is resident in much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain, but was first introduced in 1842, and is now naturalised there. It was also successfully introduced to the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.

This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.

Little Owls are easily recognised by their small, squat, flat-headed, long-legged shape and relatively grey plumage heavily marked with white. They have a distinctively bounding flight, gliding upwards before they land, showing broad rounded wings.

Owls have forward facing eyes to give them stereoscopic vision, which means that they can look at any object with both eyes at once and by comparing the angles from these two different points of view can judge how far away the object is. This, of course, is essential in capturing prey. To get an even better idea of distance, all owls, and Little Owls in particular, will try to look at an interesting object from as many angles as possible and this explains the bobbing and weaving mannerisms which are typical of this species.

Breeds and winters in orchards, hedgerows and open areas with drystone walls or derelict buildings.

The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas.

The Golden Eagle has a body length of 30 – 40 inches, a wingspan of 6 1/2 – 7 1/2 feet, and weighs 7 – 13 pounds.

Adult golden eagles are brown with tawny on the back of the head and neck; tail faintly banded.
One way to distinguish a golden eagle from an immature bald eagle is leg plumage. A golden eagle’s legs are entirely feather covered; an immature bald eagle’s lower legs are bare. As seen while in flight, juvenile golden eagles have white patches at the base of the primaries; the tail is white with a distinct dark terminal band. It takes four years to acquire adult plumage.

Golden Eagles range from sea level to several thousand feet, occupying most of the open terrain of deserts, mountains, plateaus, and steppes in the Northern Hemisphere. They are not usually found in heavily forested areas. Golden Eagles living in the northern part of their range move south when the food supply becomes scarce in the winter.

Golden Eagles prey mostly upon medium-sized rodents, rabbits, and hares, but also on birds, especially game birds, reptiles, and carrion. Most prey is taken on the ground from a low flight, but they are fast enough to take birds in flight. Some Golden Eagle pairs will hunt together.

Amazon parrot is the common name for a parrot of the genus Amazona. These are medium-size parrots native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean.
The Amazon is a loving and sociable parrot originating from South America.

The affectionate and loyal nature of the Amazon make this bird a wonderful pet for those experienced with companion parrots. Amazons are highly intelligent and require a devoted owner who is willing to provide significant and meaningful attention, as well as stimulus such as chewing toys to keep them happy and healthy.

Hand reared male birds from aviary bred parents make the best pets. Amazons are generally easily trained and have an excellent talking ability. If not provided with the necessary training and socialisation, the Amazon can become aggressive and susceptible to other behavioural problems.

Amazon Parrot is an excellent talker, very affectionate, but few enjoy petting. Clear voices and learn new words easily. Good at singing, laughing and whistling. Can become very tame, and enjoy human company. Can be aggressive during breeding season. Some male Amazons can be difficult after they reach sexual maturity. Good early training is required to prevent the male Amazons from becoming too mean. Some Amazons are known to be noisy, while other types are reported to be quieter.

Cockatoos are extremely affectionate, their feathers are very soft and they have beautiful colors!
On top of that, Cockatoos are very intelligent and inquisitive birds, and they love to show off!

A Cockatoo will make comical displays with outspread wings, head bobbing, dancing, and loud calls.

These birds are very active and curious about their environment. A happy cockatoo spends most of its waking time performing, or examining and manipulating its toys and other cage objects.
 
Limited talking ability, but most can learn to talk, very affectionate, friendly and intelligent, self destructive if neglected, may learn to scream at owners for attention. Larger cockatoos are harder to care for and require more time than smaller types. Some owners have reported their large Cockatoos do not like small children. They cannot be left and ignored, they need a lot of daily human attention and a lot of time outside of their cages. Cockatoos naturally produce a lot of feather dust or powder down from their feathers.

Conures are very active, graceful, and beautiful! What a joy it is to watch these playful creatures! Everything in their cage becomes an object for their pleasure, from pulling up the paper on the bottom of their cage to play hide-and-seek under, to rearranging their perches and toys!

Conures are a smaller version of the macaw and are found in many sizes and colors. In nature the conures live in flocks or family groups and are very friendly and peaceful birds. Because of their social disposition, many can become finger tamed in just a few weeks! These birds are also very hardy and will breed fairly easily in captivity.
Entertaining, playful with a great personality, funny little characters. Easily trained . Can be trained to talk. Hand raised and fed birds are more likely sweeter and more affectionate also easier to train. Tendency to be very loud. Can be protective of their loved ones.

Lovebirds are delightful little parrots that have been kept as pets for over 100 years! There are 9 species of these colorful, stocky little birds. There is also a wide variety of colorful mutations that have been developed within these species in captive bred lovebirds.

Lovebirds are pint-sized bundles of joy. They have the full personality of parrots while being easy to house because of their size. Lovebirds are little clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love to hang from toys, spin them around, and dance on your shoulder. Watch out for your buttons! They love to pull them off your shirts! They love to snuggle and preen. Many people believe lovebirds must be kept in pairs. This is simply not true. A single lovebird makes a better pet because it bonds to you rather than to another lovebird.

It is important to realize that while lovebirds are a small parrot, they have the intelligence and abilities of some of the largest parrots. They can amaze you with their ability to escape their own cages (I have to put clips on the cage doors to keep them in, and sometimes they figure out how to open those!), they will sometimes try to become the little bosses of the household (hence, the same type of gentle dominance training used for larger parrots should be used with lovebirds), and they can learn to mimic sounds and speech on occasion.

Lovebirds are lively flyers and climbers, and as pets they are enjoyed for these antics as much as they are enjoyed for their beauty and their affectionate displays to their mate.The most popular and readily available species are the Peach-faced Lovebird, the Fishcher’s Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebird.

The Budgie or Budgerigar, (which is called Parakeet in the USA), is one of the best known Parakeets!
Parakeets belong to the parrot family and the word “Parakeet” means long tail. They are small to medium sized parrots with long, tapered tail feathers rather than the larger parrots with stockier bodies and squarish tails. These colorful, graceful birds are full of energy! Being flock birds, parakeets are very social with each other and with people. They love attention and make wonderful pets.

The parakeet genera are found in many of the various parrot sub-families and overall there are about 120 species with many sub-species. They come from many diverse habitats throughout Asia, Australia, tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, Central America and South America.

They are quite intelligent in spite of their small size, and while most are content to whistle and sing, some have been known to learn a word or two. Average life expectancy is 12 to 14 years.

The common Parakeet, or Budgerigar to be exact, makes a wondeful pet for children or those who are new to keeping birds. These hardy little jewels come in an array of beautiful colors, and require less space and maintenance than larger bird species.

African Greys have been said to be the most intelligent of birds, some boasting vocabularies of up to 2,000 words! Because these birds are so smart, they tend to be demanding pets, and will get bored quickly if not stimulated. If you are looking for a highly intelligent and affectionate friend, however, the African Grey may be right up your alley. Greys typically live 50-70 years.

The African Grey Parrot has been donned with two nicknames. The first is “The perfect mix of brains and beauty,” and the second one is “The Cadillac of Parrots.” One reason African Grey Parrots have these nicknames is because of their ability to talk. They far exceed the talking capabilities of other parrots.

African Grey Parrots are so intelligent and observant that they often notice everything that goes on in the house. They study every movement and reaction, plus they know how to get their owner’s attention whenever they want it. They are even capable of cause-and-effect thinking. Because these bird are so intelligent it’s important to keep them stimulated while you’re away. Natural parrot toys are a great way to accomplish that.

Due to their wild nature still being intact, however, many African Greys are called nervous and fearful. This is especially true when they are near unfamiliar objects. We have put a lot of time, effort, and research into making our now popular Taming and Training Video designed especially for those with African Greys.

You can help your Pet Parrot make amazing changes quickly and easily by watching this training video and then working one on one with your African grey. To discover new and interesting things about your African Greys, please join us at our website called Bird Tricks to learn more amazing training tips and tricks!

The Canary (Serinus canaria), also called the Island Canary, Atlantic Canary or Common Canary, is a small passerine bird belonging to the genus Serinus in the finch family, Fringillidae.

Most Canaries are somewhat timid and shy little birds. Unlike larger bird species, they don’t usually do well with being handled, although exceptions do exist. Canaries are charming birds nonetheless, and many enjoy watching and interacting with their owners from the comfort of a large flight cage. These birds can be very territorial, so use caution if keeping more than one per cage — dominant behavior can be hard to control and can lead to an unforunate situation for a submissive bird.

There are a wide variety of canaries and a broad range of reasons for which people choose to keep them such as highly specialized breeding, exhibiting or as pets. This article relates to keeping a single canary or a small group as pets indoors. Some aspects will be relevant to other types of canary but further research is advisable if the reader’s purpose is more specialized than keeping a pet canary.
As large a cage as possible is to be preferred, with bars spaced so that the canary can not escape. Wooden and similar cages are not a good idea because they can house infectious bacteria or mites so a metal-plated cage is preferable, which is also easier to clean.

Most types of canaries can sing, though they may not sing all the time. A canary singing is entertaining in itself but they have some other very desirable traits as well. Adding a pet canary to your home doesn’t add an unwelcome burden. They are small, so keeping canaries takes up very little space. They are also less costly to purchase than many of the larger parrots and some of the other soft billed birds.

Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae.

A large aquatic bird living in both hemispheres, which is related to the geese and ducks. They have a long and graceful curved neck and an extremely long, convoluted trachea , which helps the bird make its far carrying calls . The orange billed and white Swan seen in parks is the mute swan, belonging to the old world origin. It breeds in the wild state in parts of the Asia, Europe, and United states.

The swans are the largest members of the duck family Anatidae, and are amongst the largest flying birds. The largest species, including the mute swan, trumpeter swan, and whooper swan, can reach length of over 1.5 m (60 inches) and weigh over 15 kg (33 pounds). Their wingspans can be almost 3 m (10 ft). Compared to the closely related geese they are much larger in size and have proportionally larger feet and necks.

They also have a patch of unfeathered skin between the eyes and bill in adults. The sexes are alike in plumage, but males are generally bigger and heavier than females.

During the breeding season it has trumpet like note, softer in the tame birds. The whistling Swan Of North America migrates from the Arctic to Mexico. Conservation extremes saved it almost from the extinction. The trumpeter swan is the largest of the species .

The European robin (Erithacus rebecula) is a small perching bird that can be found throughout many parts of Europe.
It has an orange-red breast and face, olive-brown wings and back, a white to light-brown belly. You can sometimes see a blue-grey fringe around the bottom part of the robin’s red breast patch. European robins have brown legs and their tail is bluntly square. They have large, black eyes and a small black bill.

European robins have a lovely warm, warble that consists of a melodic rippling of notes. In autumn and winter, some say their song becomes more mournful and melancholy than it is in spring and summer.

Their call is a sharp, highly pitched ‘twick‘ or ‘tick‘ that can be repeated in a series of rapid outbursts. This call is used as a warning signal or as a proclamation of their territory. European robins are notoriously territorial and can be quite aggressive to fellow members of their species who are unwelcome within their claimed plot of earth.

The Robin is a plump bird with bright orange-red breast, face, throat and cheeks edged with grey, a white belly and olive-brown upper parts.

The sexes are very similar, if not identical, though some texts suggest that the brown forehead is “V” shaped in females, and “U” shaped in males, though even this is not always apparent. They have a brown bill and legs.

The juvenile Robin has speckled buff-brown upper parts and underparts. They have no red feathers so that adult birds do not attack them in territorial disputes. The speckled feathers are lost in a partial moult when the bird is about two to three months old.

Pheasants (or Phasianinae (Horsfield, 1821)) refer to any member of the subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.

Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have longer tails. Males play no part in rearing the young. Pheasants typically eat seeds and some insects.
The Pheasant is a non-native bird that was first introduced by the Normans in the 11th century as a game bird.

Male Pheasants are unmistakable with their iridescent copper-coloured plumage. The head, small ear tufts and neck are green, though the throat and cheeks are glossed purple. Their face and wattle are red. The tail is paler and has broad barring. Some races (P. torquatus) have white neck band.
A large, long-tailed gamebird.

Males have rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings on body and tail, with a dark green head and red face wattling. Females are mottled with paler brown and black. They were introduced to the UK long ago and more recent introductions have brought in a variety of races and breeds for sport shooting

The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa.

The Grey Heron is a tall bird with a long neck and legs, and a heavy dagger-like bill. The upperparts are grey, but the head, neck and belly are white. The crest is black and black markings continue down the throat to the belly.

In flight, the outer half of the wings are black and the wing beat is very slow with the neck retracted into its shoulders and the legs are extended.

In or near water, they are often standing motionless with their head in their shoulders or feeding alone. Juveniles are darker with much less white and lack the long crest plumes.

The Grey heron is a large heron with white head and neck. The black eye-stripe has a black plume of feathers. The long bill is yellow.
The Grey Heron is found throughout South Africa in both fresh and saltwater areas

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world.
Known in Eurasia simply as ‘the swallow,’ the Barn Swallow is a distinctive bird with bold plumage and a long, slender, deeply forked tail. Barn Swallows are deep blue above, with an orange-buff breast and belly. They have russet throats and forehead patches.

The rest of the head is deep blue, extending in a line through the eye, giving the birds a masked appearance. Females are slightly duller and shorter-tailed than males. Juveniles look similar to adults, but have much shorter tails.

Barn Swallows need open areas to forage and suitable sites for nesting, now almost always buildings, bridges, or other man-made structures. They generally avoid unbroken forest and very dry areas. Their original habitat was most likely mountainous areas and seacoasts with caves, hollow trees, and rock crevices for nesting. Now that they have adapted to living with humans, they are found in agricultural areas, suburbs, and along highways–anywhere there are open areas and nesting structures, especially if water is close by.
Barn Swallows can often be seen foraging for insects low over fields or water. In bad weather, they sometimes forage on the ground. They gather mud for their nests from mud puddles, although they do not raise their wings when they do this as Cliff Swallows do.

The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is typically between 51–57 cm in length with a 110 to 150 cm (1 metre to a metre and half) (48–60 inch) wingspan, making it a medium-sized raptor.

There are around 40,000 breeding pairs in Britain. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.

The buzzard, although not a native of the Eastern Counties, is apt to appear in both Lincolnshire and Norfolk from time to time. Basically this, our largest and most graceful bird of prey, prefers wooded hillsides, and is mostly found in Wales and Scotland. However, it does turn up in the most unexpected localities, and it is as well to acquaint ourselves with it.

The buzzard is easily distinguished from all other species of hawk by its size alone. The wingspan may vary between 48 inches to 60 inches with a body length of some 20 inches. Its plumage is a rich brown, with lighter markings beneath. In flight the wings have a ragged, moth-like appearance as this bird glides to and fro at a tremendous height.
It is a slow flier, and has little chance of catching its prey on the move. The usual tactics which it adopts is to perch motionless on a branch of a large tree, its markings being excellent camouflage, rendering it almost invisible. It is a patient bird, quite content to sit for hours at a time until a young rabbit, a rat or a mouse chances to pass beneath it. Then it will swoop down on to its unsuspecting prey.
Common Buzzards feed mainly on Rabbits but will take just about any small mammal, reptile and often carrion. The birds can occasionally be seen standing proudly on a piece of road kill defending it whilst they eat. Many smaller birds such as crows and Jacdaws see them as a threat and will harry them into moving from a particular tree or area by mobbing them repeatedly until they fly away.
The ‘mewing‘ of the buzzard is unmistakable as it soars in the sky, calling frequently. Wood pigeons and songsters flee at its appearance, yet rarely do they fall prey to this large hawk.
Common Buzzards have a wingspan of 100-130cms, with the females weighing as much as 1.3 kilograms. Males tend to weigh less and as such are the more efficient hunters and fliers.
The female lays between 2 and 4 eggs, sharing the 33-35 day job of incubation with the male bird. The young leave the nest after a couple of months, becoming fully independant at around 5 months, and becoming active breeders after 2-3 years.

A pelican, derived from the Greek word pelekys (meaning “axe” and applied to birds that cut wood with their bills or beaks), is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae.

They are sociable animals and nest on small isolated coastal islands where they are safe from different predators. Females produce two or three yellowish eggs.

The incubation period lasts 30- 42 days. Unfortunately as a rule only one egg survives. A pelican bird picture shows why these birds are quite different than others.

Pelican (genus Pelecanus): one of the seven or eight species of water birds constituting the family Pelecanidae (order Pelecaniformes), distinguished by their large, elastic throat pouches. Pelicans inhabit lakes, rivers, and seacoasts in many parts of the world. With some species reaching a length of 180 cm (70 inches), having a wingspan of 3 m (10 feet), and weighing up to 13 kg (30 pounds), they are among the largest of living birds.

Pelicans eat fish, which they catch by using the extensible throat pouch as a dip-net. The pouch is not used to store the fish, which are swallowed immediately. One species, the brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), captures fish by a spectacular plunge from the air, but other species swim in formation, driving small schools of fish into shoal water where they are scooped up by the birds.

The Snowy Owl was first classified in 1758 by Carolus Linnaeus, the Swedish Swedish naturalist who developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organise plants and animals. The name “scandiacas” is a Latinised word referring to Scandinavia, as the Owl was first observed in the northern parts of Europe. Some other names for the Snowy Owl are Snow Owl, Arctic Owl, Great White Owl, Ghost Owl, Ermine Owl, Tundra Ghost, Ookpik, Scandinavian Nightbird, White Terror of the North, and Highland Tundra Owl. It is the official bird of Quebec.

The Snowy Owl is a large, diurnal white Owl that has a rounded head, yellow eyes and black bill. The feet are heavily feathered. A distinctive white Owl, their overall plumage is variably barred or speckled with thin, black, horizontal bars or spots. Females and juveniles are more heavily marked than males – adult males may be almost pure white, although they have up to three tail bands. Adult females are distinctly barred throughout, and have from four to six tail bands. Immatures are very heavily barred throughout, and dark spotting may codominate or dominate the overall plumage. Intensity of dark spotting varies with the sex of the immatures, females being the darkest. Juveniles are uniformly brown with scattered white tips of down.
This large, white owl has a rounded head and yellow eyes. Both sexes of the Snowy Owl have dark bars and spots although they are heavier on the larger female; old males may be pure white. This usually silent bird will sometimes utter a shrill whistle and hoarse croak on breeding grounds.
Snowy owls have incredible vision. They can see from high up in the sky and swoop down silently to capture their prey. Like all owls they have good night vision. They are nocturnal and diurnal hunt at night but in the Arctic it doesn’t get dark in the summer so the owls hunt in the daylight too. When the owl gets food it swallows it whole or tears it into large pieces to swallow.

The Snowy Owl depends on lemmings for their major food source. However, the lemming population fluctuates from year to year so when the supply gets too low, the snowy owl will migrate south in great numbers. 5-8 white eggs are laid in a nest lined with feathers, mosses, and lichens which is placed on the open tundra.

The arctic tern is a relatively small bird. It is also one of the most determined. Even though it is small it is still able to accomplish the remarkable feat of migrating over 22,000 miles (35,000 km) each year. The distance that it migrates is the longest of any bird. This mileage would be accurate if it flew in a straight line to where it was migrating to and from. But since it takes a lot of excursions the distance it flies each year is even greater. In fact the arctic tern almost never lands and is known to be in daylight more than dark because of its migration schedule.

The Arctic tern is about 12 to 15 inches (30-38 cm) long and weighs about 2.8-4 ounces (80-110 grams). Males and females are similar. The Arctic tern has webbed feet, the tail is long and forked, the legs are short and red, and the head is rounded and white with a black cap.

These social birds live in large groups, called colonies. Immediately before beginning a migration, a noisy colony of birds suddenly becomes quiet, and they all take to the air and fly away (this behavior is called “dread”). Arctic terns have a life span of about 20 years.

Research has shown that arctic terns will do everything possible totern photo courtesy Krog’s Kamp stay out of the water. Terns don’t swim well even though their feet are webbed because they have small feet so they swoop down, catch the fish, and keep flying to stay out of the water.