Biology Notes On Sand Beaches

Front 1

Amphipods (Beach Hopper, Beach Flea, Sand Digger)

Back 1

1. Hopper, long antennas, found high on beach
2. Flea, found high on beach
3. Digger, found lower on beach

Front 2

Arthropods (Horeshoe, Ghost, and Mole Crabs)

Back 2

1. Ghost, primarily crupusculan (between dusk and dawn), usually remain in burrows during day
2. Mole, two kinds of antennas, one for food and one for breathing

Front 3

Basic Differences between Gulls and Terns

Back 3

1. Terns are more graceful and streamlined
2. Terns have deeper wing beats, gulls shallow
3. Terns fly with head and bill down, gulls straight
4. Terns have forked tail, gulls rounded
5. Terns dive in water for fish, gulls on surface
6. Sexually immature gulls have speckled heads

Front 4

Herring Gull

Back 4

1. Most common, feed on anything
2. White heads, yellow bill with red spot
3. Four year gull, takes four years to attain sexual maturity

Front 5

Laughing Gull

Back 5

1. Mostly found during warmer months
2. Black head during breeding plumage
3. Bill and feet are redish
4. Three year gull

Front 6

Great Black Backed Gull

Back 6

1. White head and breat, black back
2. Largest gull, sit on lightposts on Bay Bridge
3. Four year gull

Front 7

Ring-Billed Gull

Back 7

1. Looks like herring but smaller
2. Yellow legs and bill with a black ring around
3. Three year gull

Front 8

Common Tern

Back 8

1. Orange/red bill with a black tip and legs

Front 9

Caspian Tern

Back 9

1. Orange/red bill with a tiny black tip and legs
2. Largest, found throughout bay all year-round

Front 10

Royal Tern

Back 10

1. Yellow bill no tip, black legs
2. Feathers off head like a merganser

Front 11

Least Tern

Back 11

1. Yellow bill with black tip, white visor
2. Smallest

Front 12

Shorebirds

Back 12

1. Found primarily in lower bay

Front 13

Ruddy Turnstone

Back 13

1. Stocky, rust colored back, white breast with black bib
2. Turn over stones

Front 14

Sanderlings

Back 14

1. Smaller than stones, black bills and feet
2. Little guys that follow the surf

Front 15

Willet

Back 15

1. Large, double size of sanderling
2. White feather pattern when in flies