Cormorants and Shags [Suliformes]
Description
Suliformes includes cormorants, shags, frigatebirds, and gannets. These birds are closely tied to the marine environment, with species distributed worldwide from coastal waters to open ocean. Cormorants and shags are known for their diving ability, plunging from the surface to catch fish with their hooked beaks. They have less waterproof feathers than many other water birds, which aids in diving but requires them to spend time drying their wings after swimming. Frigatebirds, with their large wingspans and forked tails, are masters of the air, rarely touching the water as they snatch fish from the ocean surface or pirate food from other birds.