The Terns, or Sea Swallows, are possessed of great power and endurance of flight, their long forked tails and pointed wings indicating strength and swiftness.
It preys on fish, which it snatches from the surface with unerring aim as it skims over the waves with astonishing velocity.
They inhabit the seashore and, unlike gulls, make distant journeys from the coast.
The Gulls.
The Gulls are larger birds than the Terns. As the vultures are the scavengers of the land, these birds are the scavengers of the sea. They are frequently seen at great distance from land, resting on the water. Their nests are found in colonies.
GULL.
Puffins.
The Puffin is an excellent diver, plunging fearlessly from a lofty cliff into the sea, and speedily returning with its beak full of fish, which are secured by their heads, and lie in a row along the bill of the Puffin, forming a kind of piscatorial fringe. Its enormous and sharp-edged bill renders it a formidable antagonist to intruders. It is often called the "Sea Parrot."
Loons.