Sea birds live in a lager and separate world than we do, the world of open ocean. While on the wing sea birds constantly scan the ocean surface for food.

Albatross, gulls (pelagic), petrels, shearwaters, storm-petrels, and terns (pelagic) feed directly from the surface, often while in flight.

Boobies, gannets and tropicbirds specialize in plunge diving. Still others usually glide close to the water.

The kittiwake is pelagic for most of the year. Adult wing patterns are obvious and good for identification. The wing pattern of a juvenile bird can suggest that of a Sabine′s gull.

The brown noddy are tropic birds and have a nesting colony at Bush Key on Dry Tortugas, Florida. Black noddy are rare among the brown on Dry Tortugas.

Pelagic terns are identified by their forked tails. The adults have similar markings but the sooty tern is darker and has more white in it′s face.

004sa Sabine′s Gull Xema sabini, L 13 inches, W 34 inches

004bl Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, L 17 inches, W 38 inches

169re Red-legged Kittiwake Rissa brevirostris, L 15 inches (Arctic)

003bl Black Noddy Anous minutus, L 13 inches, W 28 inches

003br Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, L 15 inches, W 32 inches

003bi Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus, L 14 inches, W 32 inches

003so Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata, L 15 inches, W 34 inches

Jaegers are muscular, predatory cousins of the gulls. Juvenile birds take four years to obtain adult plumage and there is a variety of subadult plumage.

The skuas are strong flying robber much like the jaegers. The white patches in their primaries are bolder and more extensive than in the jaegers.

005lo Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus, L 15-22 inches, W 39 in.

005pa Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus, L 16-19 inches, W 42 inches

005po Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus, L 18-22 inches, W 48 inches

004gr Great Skua Catharacta skua, L 23 inches, W 55 inches

004so South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicke, L 21 inches, W 50 inches

Tropicbirds fly with the wing beats of pigeon and plunge dive for fish from over one hundred feet. Identification is primarily from the upper parts of the bird but often hard to see from below. The black patch in the primary feathers is larger on the red-billed than the white-tailed. The red-tailed is rare far off California.

003rb Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon Aethereus, L 18-38 inches, W 42 inches

003rt Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon Rubricauda, L 18-38 inches, W 42 inches

003wh White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus, L 16-30 inches, W 36 inches

Albatross are the masters of the wind and sail over the waves gracefully on very narrow wings. Without a wind, albatross labor to fly and often would rather rest on the water.

Albatross feed on fish, squid and any refuge they can find.

001bb Black-browned Albatross Diomedea melanophris, L 35 in. W 88 in.

001bf Black-footed Albatross, Diomedea nigripes, L 32 inches, W 82 inches

001la Laysan Albatross, Diomedea immutabilis, L 32 inches, W 82 inches

001sh Short-tailed Albatross, Diomedea albatrus, L 35 inches, W 88 inches

001ye Yellow-nosed Albatross Diomedea chlororhynchos, L 31 in. W 80 in.

Fulmars are bulky bird with bulging foreheads and thick pale bills. Their color varies greatly from a dark overall gray to a pale gray mantle resembling a gull. These marine birds pick food from the ocean surface.

Petrel sail high, are very acrobatic and pick food from the surface of the ocean. Petrel fly with wings bent at the wrist and have a short, stout bill

Shearwater fly on bowed wings, arcing above the ocean swells and dropping into the troughs. Their stiff winged glides are interrupted by shallow, rapid wing beats.

008fu northern fulmar fulmarus glacialis, L 18 inches, W 42 inches

008bl Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata, L 16 inches, W 37 inches

008be Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow, L 15 inches, W 35 inches

008ca Cape Verde Petrel Pterodroma feae, L 14 inches, W 35 inches

008co Cook′s Petrel Pterodroma cookii, L 12 inches, W 30 inches

008he Herald Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana, L 15 inches, W 37 inches

008mo Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpecgtata, L 14 inches, W 32 inches

008mu Murphy′s Petrel Pterodroma ultima, L 16 inches, W 38 inches

008st Stejneger′s Petrel Pterodroma longirostris, L 12 inches, W 30 inches

006co Cory′s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea, L 20 inches, W 46 inches

007st Streaded Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas, L 19 inches, W 48 inches

006au Audubon′s Shearwater Puffinus iherminieri, L 12 inches, W 27 inches

007bl Black-vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas, L 14 inches, W 33 in.

007bu Buller′s Shearwater Puffinus bulleri, L 17 inches, W 40 inches

007fl Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus cameipes, L 19 inches, W 43 inches

006gr Greater Shearwater Puffinus gravis, L 19 inches, W 43 inches

006ma Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, L 13 inches, W 33 inches

007pi Pink-footed Shearwater puffinus creatopus, L 19 inches, W 403 inches

007sh Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris, L 16 inches, W 37 inches

006so Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus, L 17 inches, W 40 inches

007we Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus, L 17 inches, W 40 inches

009wi Wilson′s Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus, L 7 inches, W 16 inches

009as Ashy Storm-petrel Oceanodroma homochroa, L 7 1/2 inches, W 17 in.

009ba Band-rumped Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, L 8 inches, W 18 in.

009bl Black Storm-petrel Oceanodroma melania, L 9 inches, W 20 inches

009fo Fork-tailed Storm-petrel Oceanodroma furcata, L 8 1/2 inches, W 18 in.

009ls Least Storm-petrel Oceanodroma microsoma, L 6 inches, W 13 inches

009lc Leach′s Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa, L 8 inches, W 18 inches

009we Wedge-rumped Storm-petrel Oceanodroma tethys, L 6 1/2 inches

009wh White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina, L 8 in. W 17 in.

Boobies and Gannets are large, heavy marine birds which taper to a point at both ends. Flying strongly on stiff wings, they climb high and plunge dive for fish. Adults have distinguishing plumage and brightly colored bills and feet, but juvenile birds are harder to identify, taking three or four years to acquire adult plumage.

While Boobies and Gannets roost on the water, Boobies also roost on remote islands, buoys, oil rigs and trees.

002no Northern Gannet Moris bassamus, L 36 inches, W 72 inches

002bl Blue-footed Booby Sula nebouxii, L 31 inches, W 62 inches

002br Brown Booby Sula. leucogaster, L 29 inches, W 57 inches

002ma Masked Booby Sula dactyltra, L 32 inches, W 62 inches

002re Red-footed Booby Sula bula, L 28 inches, W 59 inches