Diving Birds

Diving birds are those that forage for food underwater, either by swimming down or plunging in from the air. They have adaptations like webbed feet, waterproof feathers, and streamlined bodies to help them dive efficiently.

Diving Birds

How Do These Birds Dive

Diving birds employ various techniques to forage underwater based on their physical features and related factors.

  • Foot-propelled Diving Birds — They typically leap from ledges near the water, using their powerful legs and webbed feet to propel themselves forward. Their streamlined bodies are built for efficient movement in water.
  • Wing-propelled Diving Birds — They use their wings to swim and chase prey underwater. This technique is employed by both flightless (penguins) and flying birds (dippers).
  • Plunge Diving Birds — They dive from the air into the water, transitioning swiftly from flying to swimming. To perform these risky maneuvers, they are equipped with long beaks, strong neck muscles, and wings that change shape mid-dive. Due to the physical demands and higher risk of injury, they dive less frequently than the other two.

Different Types of Diving Birds

SpeciesDepths They Reach (ft)Where They Are Found
Foot-propelled
European ShagUpto 200Western Europe
Pelagic CormorantUpto 140Throughout the North Pacific
Great Crested GrebeUpto 130Europe and the east Palearctic
Brandt’s CormorantUpto 120Pacific coast of North America
Common LoonUpto 33In the Nearctic regions of Europe and North America
Pacific LoonUpto 33In the northern Pacific, between northern Canada and eastern Siberia
Red-throated LoonUpto 30Arctic regions of Eurasia and North America
Double-crested CormorantUpto 25Throughout the United States
Horned GrebeUpto 20Eurasia and North America
AnhingaUpto 20Central and South America
Great CormorantUpto 19Worldwide
Black-throated LoonUpto 16Asia, northern Europe, and the Seward Peninsula, Alaska
BuffleheadUpto 15Northern and central North America
Red-necked GrebeUpto 13Throughout northern North America, Europe, and Asia
Black-necked GrebeUpto 13Europe, Asia, Africa, northern South America, and the southwest and western US
Pied-billed GrebeUpto 10Throughout the Americas
Little GrebeUpto 3Most of Asia, Africa, and Europe
Neotropic CormorantUpto 2Central and South America
Wing-propelled
Emperor PenguinUpto 1,800Antarctica
Common MurreUpto 590Parts of the US (New England, southern California), Japan, Korea, and the western Mediterranean
Thick-billed MurreUpto 490Throughout the polar and sub-polar regions of the Northern Hemisphere
Long-tailed DuckUpto 480Northern Eurasia and North America
RazorbillUpto 395Throughout the North Atlantic
Tufted PuffinUpto 360In the northern Pacific, from the Russian Far East to Alaska
Southern Rockhopper PenguinUpto 330Subantarctic waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Peruvian Diving-petrelUpto 270The Humboldt Current, off Peru and Chile
Macaroni PenguinUpto 230Antarctic and sub-antarctic regions
Atlantic PuffinUpto 200Throughout the Atlantic Puffin
Common Diving-petrelUpto 200Islands between latitudes 35 and 55 degrees south
Little PenguinUpto 197Southern Australia and New Zealand
Rhinoceros AukletUpto 196From Alaska and California in the United States to Hokkaidō and Honshū, Japan
South Georgia Diving-petrelUpto 160The sub-Antarctic regions
Black GuillemotUpto 140Arctic regions of the North Atlantic
Pigeon GuillemotUpto 140In the North Pacific, from Siberia to western North America
Cassin’s AukletUpto 130From the Baja California peninsula to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
Snares PenguinUpto 130Snares Islands, New Zealand
American Dipper Upto 20Western and central North America, from Panama to Alaska
Magellanic Diving-petrelUpto 10Southern South America, including southern Chile, Argentina, and the Tierra del Fuego peninsula
Plunge
Above WaterUnderwater
Northern GannetFrom 230Upto 195North Atlantic
OspreyFrom 131Upto 3.3Worldwide
Blue-footed BoobyFrom 100Upto 80Throughout eastern Pacific Ocean from California to the Galápagos Islands south into Peru
Brown PelicanFrom 70Upto 10Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts in the Americas
Brown BoobyFrom 50Upto 7Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Belted KingfisherFrom 33Upto 3North America
Common TernFrom 20Upto 2Northern Hemisphere
Common KingfisherFrom 7Upto 1Europe, Asia, and North Africa

FAQs

1. What’s the deepest-diving bird?

The Emperor Penguin holds the record as the deepest-diving bird, capable of reaching depths of up to 1,800 feet while swimming at speeds of 15 km/h.

2. How long can diving birds stay underwater?

The ability to hold their breath underwater varies among bird species. For example, ducks can manage for about a minute, while Emperor Penguins can hold their breath for around half an hour.

3. Why do diving birds dive straight down to catch prey?

Refraction at the water’s surface can cause birds to misjudge the position of their prey when targeting it at an angle. By diving straight down, birds minimize this effect, increasing their chances of successfully capturing their prey.

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