There are massive, mighty birds like albatross in the order Procelleriformes, but the most abundant are the diminutive storm-petrels. They flit over the water like so many butter¬flies, dipping and picking up morsels risen from the briny depths. These Elliot’s Storm-petrels are very abundant in various parts of the Galapagos Archipelago, flitting along at a rather slow pace. Truth be told, they appear like a male Purple Martin until one sees the white patch on the base of the tail or rump.

A bit larger and longer-winged are these Galapagos Petrels, zipping along at a much accelerated pace. All members of this family, from petrels to albatross, have tubes covering their nostrils, and this serves to allow them to breathe in storms that blow up so suddenly over the ocean. Whether pelagics are seen from shore depends on the depth of the water near shore. If it’s deep, like California, certain pelagic birds may be seen. If it’s shallow, like along the Gulf of Mexico, pelagic birds are seldom seen from shore. Of course, it’s very deep along the volcanic islands of the Galapagos

Fairly heavy birds like this Galapagos Shearwater must paddle across the surface to gain flight in much the same way as loons, grebes and certain diving ducks. The wings are long and narrow, like all of this order, and larger ones can fly without flapping for hours. This bird is apparently a separate species on the Galapagos, although certain Ecuadorian “experts” are a bit hasty to name birds “Galapagos” this or that. It’s a pride thing.

Shearwaters are the medium-sized procelleriforms, and various species actually have quite a range of size, up to Greater and Cory’s Shearwaters seen off the Atlantic Coast. So many oceanic birds (and others) are dark on top and light underneath, with the bellies blending in with the sky and the top looking more like ocean water. Some shearwater flocks number into the hundreds of thousands where food availability is high.

Albatross are extremely large sea birds with wings between 8 and 12 feet across! This is the Waved Albatross, a species largely confined to the Galapagos. Note the long beak with a tube-nose, plus feet the size of boat paddles to help take off on land. This species breeds largely on the southern edge of the Galapagos Islands, in a process that takes nearly nine months.

The form of an albatross is unmistakable, with the extremely long wings, long bill and huge feet. Waved Albatross are actually fairly small as albatross go, with the largest species like Wandering and Royal having wing spans several feet longer. Most albatross are denizens of the southern oceans, with only two species really found much north of the Equator (Black-footed of Alaska and Laysan’s of Hawaii).

This is a very large egg, one of a Waved Albatross. It was apparently infertile, as it wasn’t being attended, but curiously not cracked open by scavengers. It is an interesting shape, as most sea bird eggs have a small end and a large end, to keep them from rolling, but these albatross are virtually the same on both ends. I account for this as a species who lays its eggs far from the edge of the cliff.

Young Waved Albatross attain the size of the adults in a few months (or larger) but lose a fair amount of body fat once they begin flying (and not being very good at catching food). They grow quickly to this size to discourage predators, although few avian hunters could manage such as meal. The Ecuadorian Government has done a good job trying to protect the Islands from human and non-human harm.

Albatross are commonly seen flying with one wing-tip up and one down. They can whirl on a dime and snatch up offal (food risen from the ocean’s bottom) in a heartbeat. Many albatross are exceedingly hard to distinguish but these are the only show in town. Also note the powerful feet for swimming and the tiny eyes for the tropical sun. This is a bird no frigate would dare attack. Ok, and now for some other orders…

Penguins are extreme Southern Hemisphere birds, swimming in the icy depths and catching fish easily with their warm-blooded metabolism. Cold water flows north out of the Antarctic to the Galapagos and this Galapagos Penguin holds fast to a precarious survival on a few islands. Every square millimeter of its hide is covered with feathers and it spends a fair amount of time preening that coat.

In the water, penguins have few rivals. Sharks seldom catch them and fish are pretty easy prey. The few of this species which have reached across the Equator in the Galapagos are the only penguins to do that in the wild on Earth. They are a smallish penguin, certainly not the monsters found on the Antarctic. Note the tiny pupil.

Terns are not their usual abundant selves on the Galapagos but the Common Noddy frequents some islands, as they do around most of the middle of the Earth. They are quite adept at snatching small animals and remains off the water’s surface, and their tails are quite unlike the terns most of you have experience. This one has found a pelican’s head quite comfortable.

Seemingly always near terns are gulls, and this Swallow-tailed Gull is about as attractive as a gull can get. Amazingly, these birds are nocturnal, resting by day and gathering food by night for their chicks. This they do to avoid the frigate birds which sleep by night. In the low light of night, chicks peck at the white bill-tip and the white spot at the bill-base, encouraging the adults to regurgitate their food.

Immature Swallow-tailed Gulls are quite striking as well, with this one curiously standing near a cactus. This species is not abundant on the Galapagos but the population is stable. This is a more important stat than simple population. This individual is a year away from the lovely colors with striking wings and the black head of the adults.

The adult Lava Gull also has a dark head but against the gray body, it doesn’t stand out like, say Laughing Gulls. They are most often seen standing around on lava rocks and their color is great camouflage. Would you believe me if I told you there were other birds the same color that hunt on lava boulders?

The Lava Heron is obviously related to our Green Heron and sports the colors of the rock on which it sits. I have often mused that the white color on its neck that looks like ice cream dripping camouflages with all the bird poop on about every rock. Besides Green Herons, these are closely related to the Striated Heron of the American Tropics, a species which occasionally reaches the Galapagos. Not surprising, the three of them even sound alike!

An offbeat member of the heron group is the Greater Flamingo and they are found in shallow ponds on several islands. Here they metabolize shrimp and other crustaceans and have no enemies. Their brain is upside down (same as woodcock and snipe) as they curve their beak underwater for the crustaceans they seek. Let’s see a better picture: These Greater Flamingo are the most common and widespread flamingos on Earth and are simply quite a sight. Their banana-shaped beaks strain the muddy water for small crustaceans, squirting out the non-living material. Like many white birds, they have black pigment in their wing’s primaries and secondaries. This is because pink wears easily so the black tips maintain the integrity of the feathers.

Their scientific name (genus and family) makes reference to the Phoenix, the mythological creature that represented life from nothing. They were named this by early British explorers on the Sudan’s deserts who saw the lifeless, salt deserts suddenly explode with clouds of airborne pink. Phoenocopterus ruber, of course, refers to a red Phoenix. Flamingos, pink spoonbills and Scarlet Ibis attain their colors from the carotene in the shrimp and other crustaceans they eat. In captivity, if they are denied fresh crustaceans like shrimp, they begin losing their color. These three also have webbed feet, not for swimming, but for standing in soft mud, so as not to sink.

These are various of the three species of the World’s phalaropes: Wilson’s, Red and Red-necked. All are shorebirds that live at sea for most of their lives, only returning to the Arctic (or northern US) to breed. These winter plumages are tough to separate but most of these appear to be Red-necked and Red. These birds suck up microorganisms off the surface, spinning and dabbing as they go.

Wandering Tattlers are sandpipers that breed in the Arctic and scatter to volcanic rock all over the Pacific Basin. They bob their rear ends like Spotted Sandpipers (with which they associate) and even fly a bit “stiff-winged” like Spotteds. This bird is molting but it won’t affect its flight in the least. Note the amazing cryptic coloration, when an animal blends in perfectly with a specific part of the environment. Remember the earlier Lava Gull and Lava Heron? 😉 Wowsers, the Galapagos is indeed a special place!