Walking alongside the seashore this time of yr is thrilling as a result of you possibly can spot particular visitors alongside Guam’s shoreline. After the breeding season ends in Alaska, Siberia, and northern Asia, migratory birds start their lengthy journey south, with many visiting our shores right here in Guam. The previous couple of weeks have been particularly busy in migratory hen land.
Bird watching
When I used to be a teen in Belgium, I joined a youth group devoted to environmental safety. We studied birds and crops, labored in nature preserves, and advocated for the surroundings. Back then, I liked watching birds, particularly in winter, when giant numbers of migratory birds, particularly geese, geese and waders, arrived from farther north.
I’d enterprise out sporting wool socks inside rubber boots. Still, my toes would freeze as a result of we might stand immobile for lengthy intervals, binoculars in hand, figuring out the completely different hen species.
Today is a bit of completely different. My toes are dipped in heat sand, and the surroundings is a a lot brighter blue and inexperienced.
Bird seashore habitat
The birds love to hang around alongside the sting of the shore, the place they’ll wade within the shallow water and seek for prey. After the typhoons, there may be much more open area alongside some seashores, making the birds simpler to identify.
Kålalang, and its crescent moon-shaped beak
One of the taller shorebirds is the Kålalang, or the Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). The hen stands out not solely due to its top but in addition due to its curved invoice, formed nearly like a brand new moon. The genus title Numenius comes from the Ancient Greek noumenios, which refers back to the new moon which appears to be like just like the hen’s crescent-shaped invoice. The English title “whimbrel” is assumed to mimic its name.
One of my favourite issues to look at is the Kålalang probing its lengthy invoice deep into the sand in the hunt for small crabs and different invertebrates. This seashore hen can also be type of simple going. I really feel it doesn’t fly away simply.
Ruddy turnstones, flipping stones in the hunt for meals
The smaller Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) are one other enjoyable sight. They typically seem in teams, scurrying alongside the shoreline with their shiny orange legs and quick, stout payments. Their title refers to a sure behavior, as they flip over small stones, shells, and items of seaweed to uncover crabs and different invertebrates hiding beneath.
When these birds first arrive to Guam from their breeding grounds, they nonetheless present remnants of their putting breeding plumage, with black, white, and reddish patches. As winter progresses, their plumage turns into extra subdued.
Pacific Golden Plover, migration champion
Then there are the Pacific Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva), or Dulili. The title dulili is a extra basic CHamoru phrase for shorebirds or sandpipers, not referring to a selected species.
These outstanding birds make extraordinary migrations between their breeding grounds within the Arctic and their wintering areas throughout the Pacific and Asia. Some journey hundreds of miles over open ocean throughout their annual migration.
Before making these lengthy journeys, they undergo a interval of intense feeding, build up fats reserves that present the power wanted for his or her outstanding flights. By the time they attain their vacation spot, they could have used a considerable portion of these power reserves.
Grey-tailed tattler
The Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes), or Dulili, is one other shorebird chances are you’ll encounter alongside Guam’s shoreline. As its title suggests, it has a distinctly gray higher physique, whereas the flanks should not as gray. One of its finest identification options is the lengthy eyebrow stripe, which extends behind the attention.
Look additionally at its legs. They are comparatively quick and shiny yellow, a function mirrored in its scientific title brevipes, which comes from Latin phrases which means “short feet.”
Importance of our Guam seashores
All of those birds breed within the northern hemisphere and journey huge distances throughout their annual migrations.
I like seeing these migratory birds alongside Guam’s shores and excited about the journeys they’ve made to get right here. For a hen that will have traveled hundreds of miles from its breeding grounds, Guam shouldn’t be merely a seashore to hang around. It is a spot to relaxation, refuel and discover meals.
These small island hubs are extremely essential to migratory birds. The subsequent time you see a bunch of birds alongside the shoreline, take a second to look at them. They might have simply accomplished one of the crucial outstanding journeys on Earth.