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NARRATOR:
Since the beginning of time, the bird
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has been an inspiration to the artist,
the scientist and the poet.
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In almost infinite variety,
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nature has scattered these colorful
creatures across the face of the Earth.
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Each species has a long
and interesting history,
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but none more fascinating
than the story to be found
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in the habits and customs
of the water birds.
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In ancient times, water birds
were a source of great mystery to man,
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for they would appear out of nowhere,
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sweeping across the tract of seas
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to disappear again
into the great unknown.
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Sometimes primitive man
worshiped the water birds as gods.
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More often he viewed them with envy
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and longed for the miracle
of winged flight
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and the freedom of the skies.
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"Free as a bird"
is a familiar expression.
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And yet a bird isn't really free at all.
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He rarely makes a flight
without a definite purpose,
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and he has but one full-time job,
simply to stay alive.
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Nature, however, lends a helping hand.
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And in this True-Life Adventure,
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we will discover
how she's adapted the water bird
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to meet the problems of survival.
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Many species of water birds
are migratory,
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like these gannets,
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who each year migrate
from the equator
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to Bonaventure Island
in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence,
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for in these northern latitudes,
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18 hours of daylight
permit intensive fishing.
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To the gannets, the island
is one enormous apartment house.
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Accommodations in the sky room are,
of course, preferred.
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But space is so very limited
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that even the narrowest ledges
are overcrowded
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and territorial rights
are jealously guarded.
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Fishing patrols are constantly leaving
and returning to the island.
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To make a landing
in these crowded areas,
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the webbed feet as well as the wings
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combine for maximum
braking efficiency.
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With each arrival,
cordial greetings are exchanged.
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But to the question,
"Was the fishing good?"
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the answer is, "No."
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Actually, through these
strange noddings and bobbings,
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the gannets communicate
with each other
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and identify their mates.
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Nests are constructed
almost entirely of seaweed.
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But there's such a shortage
of even this material
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that the gannets
often steal each other's nests
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when they're left unguarded.
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This particular thief
was caught in the act,
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which naturally leads to
some embarrassment.
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In spite of the many problems,
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homes are completed
and eggs are laid,
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only one to a nest.
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And now the struggle
for survival begins.
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Breaking through a tough eggshell
is an exhausting job.
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The youngsters develop rapidly,
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and in a few weeks,
here he is in his first new suit.
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Keeping young appetites satisfied
is a tremendous task.
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When three months old,
the young outweigh their parents.
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This youngster doesn't know it,
but he'll soon have his last free meal.
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Then for 10 days
he'll live on his reserve fat
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while he's learning to swim, fly,
and most important of all, to fish.
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Oftentimes, the gannet appears
to go into a trance
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and search the heavens
for some mysterious sign.
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And that usually means
that a school of herring
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has appeared in the depths below.
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The fish sometimes move
at great depths,
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but the gannet will begin its dive
as much as 100 feet above the water.
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To cushion the impact
as they smack into the water,
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nature has equipped them
with pneumatic cells,
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shock absorbers
that protect their chest area.
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They never seem
to have an accident or a collision.
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Their timing is uncanny.
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The Gulf of Mexico is far distant
from Bonaventure Island,
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but here, too, the struggle
for territorial rights continues.
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In this colony of terns,
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two mothers argue bitterly
over a mix-up in children.
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It seems the chicks have wandered
into the wrong backyards.
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A few pecks and a scolding, however,
soon sets things straight again.
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(PEEPING)
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As an inducement
to stay home and behave,
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one mother offers her youngster
a tasty surprise.
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Her neighbor, on the other hand,
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believes the best way
to keep children out of mischief
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is to see that they're fully occupied.
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This is a mated pair of fairy terns.
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To escape the nesting competition
on the ground,
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this species long ago
took to the bushes.
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Actually, the fairy tern has no nest.
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It simply lays its egg on a bare branch.
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The parents share the task
of incubating the egg.
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By some miracle it stays put.
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Even more amazing is the tiny chick,
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who stays glued to his perilous perch
until he's old enough to fly.
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The pompous pelican
looks like one of nature's mistakes,
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but only on the ground.
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In the air,
he's a masterpiece of functional design
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and a fisherman without equal.
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His dive is a study
in perfect coordination.
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At lunchtime, the pelican's pouch
serves as a bowl for fish chowder.
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But the first one to find a prize
isn't always the one to keep it.
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When a battle royal develops,
everyone enjoys the fun.
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All except gloomy Gus,
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who looks down his nose
at the whole affair.
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(SWALLOWING)
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In spite of his size,
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the pelican is often annoyed
by troublesome neighbors.
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The thieving gulls
are a constant headache.
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White pelicans prefer the shores
and islands of inland lakes.
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Their nests are simply hollows
scooped in the sand.
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The newly-hatched are exposed
not only to the elements,
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but also to the jealous wrath
of their older brothers.
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These naked chicks will have
no protective coat for several weeks.
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It's a wonder that any reach maturity.
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But in nature
the will to survive is strong.
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And what a pelican lacks
in poise and grace,
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he more than makes up for
in determination.
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The young are independent
and adventuresome,
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which creates a problem
in a crowded community.
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The parents are constantly re-sorting
and reshuffling the children.
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Each parent knows its own,
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and a trespasser
is soon put in his place.
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Sometimes when a youngster dips
into the food locker,
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he goes a bit too far.
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Whatever he found down there
certainly packs a wallop.
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To ensure the reproduction
of her many children,
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nature devises
many different forms of courtship.
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The male wood duck, for instance,
in dazzling plumage,
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need only sit quietly to decoy his mate.
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The man-o'-war bird also uses
fancy dress to help him win a bride.
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On his throat he carries
a large, inflated sac.
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For some strange reason,
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this makes him quite irresistible
to the opposite sex.
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When the family arrives
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and Father becomes
thoroughly domesticated,
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his ego is completely deflated.
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Here two male coots
are fighting for the favor of a female.
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This is serious business,
and it could end in death by drowning.
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(BOTH SQUAWKING ANGRILY)
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The heartless female doesn't care
who wins the grand struggle.
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She just wants a quick decision
and a mate.
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In fact, she's in such a hurry
she leaves before the fighting is over
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to gather nesting material.
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Weary from a hard-won battle,
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the victor is overwhelmed
with rushes and reeds
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to make a home
for his enterprising bride.
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Time passes.
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And after all the fuss and furor,
this is their reward.
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With the snowy egrets,
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the competition of courtship
sometimes inspires strange antics.
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But when it comes
to strange courtships,
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few can compare with that
of the western grebe.
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The peculiar ritual includes
the gathering of moss for nest-building.
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After the ball is over,
the business of homemaking begins,
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but not until a raft of reeds
has been built.
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Now the grebes' floating home
can ride the crest of the floods.
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For the pintail ducks, it's bottoms up,
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and that means it's mealtime.
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They live on what they can grub
from the muddy bottom.
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Bluebill ducks, however,
patrol the waters farther offshore.
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In the struggle for survival,
food gathering is all-important.
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And so nature adapts her birds
to different diets
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and restricts them
to separate feeding areas.
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In this orderly cafeteria,
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the shallow waters
are reserved for the pintails.
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The bluebills search for food
at lower levels.
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And the cormorants, like this one,
find their food at extreme depths.
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If the bluebills
discover something special,
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the good news travels fast.
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But latecomers needn't worry,
there's plenty for all.
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The purple gallinule finds its food
among the water lilies.
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And these oversized feet
supply balance
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and support for walking on the pads.
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They're also handy
for turning up a square meal.
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To meet the competitive
problem of survival,
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nature has adapted beaks and bodies
in many strange and interesting ways.
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These wading birds
find a pair of long legs very useful,
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and a long, sharp beak
for spearing fish is just as necessary.
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The beak of the black skimmer
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has been designed
for a highly specialized job.
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Unlike most birds,
the skimmer's lower jaw is fixed,
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while the upper mandible is hinged.
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With this unique equipment,
the skimmer excels at surface fishing.
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The spoonbill is another example
of nature's specialized design.
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He feeds in waters patrolled
by other wading birds,
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and yet he doesn't live on fish.
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His food consists
of minute forms of sea life,
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which he must consume
in great quantities.
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The broad, flat bill contains strainers,
which separate the food from the water.
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His bill also comes in handy
at nest-building time.
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These wading birds are called avocets,
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and they comb
the lagoons and marshes.
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Like reapers, they sweep the waters
with their curved beaks.
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In this case,
their food is mosquito larvae.
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The curlew
is a near relative of the avocet,
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yet her beak curves
in the opposite direction
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for probing into mud and moss.
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She's a devoted mother
and also a clever actress.
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Her specialty is the broken-wing act,
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which she uses
whenever danger is near.
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Disregarding her own safety,
she pretends her wing is broken
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and lures the enemy far from her nest.
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Here, a mother killdeer
senses that something's amiss.
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And no wonder. One of her brood
has strayed from the nest
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and there's a stranger in the skies,
directly overhead.
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She takes no chances.
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00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,400
Leaving Father in charge,
she begins a search.
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(CALLING)
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The killdeer also uses
the broken-wing act.
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00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:17,480
Keeping one eye peeled for the truant,
she flutters and flaps pathetically.
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00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,040
Wayward chick is found
and sent scurrying home,
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00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:25,760
while Mother continues
her covering action.
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00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:30,600
With the prodigal safe
under Father's wing,
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everybody's happy.
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00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,200
Among plovers,
nests are abandoned early,
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00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,200
and from then on,
home is where Mother is.
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00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,320
Mother sandpiper, it seems,
has rhythm.
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High among the snow-fed
mountain streams
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lives the water ouzel,
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sometimes called the dipper.
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Only about the size of a robin,
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this is one of nature's
strangest water birds.
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She neither dives nor swims,
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yet she can actually submerge
and walk on the bottoms of streams.
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Here she finds tempting grubs
and larvae for her young.
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00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,880
The water ouzel makes its home
beside the rushing waters,
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a place secure
from most of its enemies.
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The young have no fear
of the swift streams,
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00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,280
and at a tender age
they start to explore,
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even before they learn to fly.
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This youngster disregards
the warning of his elders.
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Every dip increases his confidence.
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00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:23,400
Suddenly the current catches him.
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00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:26,640
Like a leaf, he's swept away
over the rushing cataract.
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00:21:29,760 --> 00:21:32,200
Father tries to help,
but there's nothing he can do.
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00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:39,880
There's a happy ending, though,
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00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,720
for, by lucky chance,
the adventurer was swept to safety.
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00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,320
In the tropics as in the mountains,
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00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,080
nature displays her wonders
in specialization.
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00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:00,200
Because the flamingo feeds
with its head upside down,
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00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,920
the lower jaw has developed
into a massive pincer.
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00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,160
An agile foot stirs up
the muddy bottom,
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00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,960
while the long neck maneuvers
to snap up shrimps and snails.
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00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,120
When it comes to an argument,
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00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:20,800
that pliable neck
can drive a point home.
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00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:26,360
And at siesta time,
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00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,920
there's always a place
to rest a weary head.
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00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,640
The flamingo is a skilled architect
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00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,720
and uses its beak
to shape a tall nest of mud.
250
00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,720
In spite of their size,
flamingos are quite timid.
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00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:52,800
The slightest outside disturbance
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00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,200
will send the whole colony
into headlong flight.
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00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,640
Awkward and grotesque on the ground,
in the air, they're a picture of grace.
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00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:26,160
Here's an odd sight.
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00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:29,000
Looks like a cloud of birds
against the blue sky.
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00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:31,480
As a matter of fact, they are birds,
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00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,760
but they're nesting
on a small atoll in the Pacific.
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00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,200
These are the black-footed albatross,
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00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:41,920
or gooneys,
as they're sometimes called.
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00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:45,280
And this is a mated pair.
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00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:49,760
While one sits on the egg,
the mate stands affectionately by.
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00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:58,840
In other climates, eggs are carefully
protected from the cold.
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00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:00,840
But here in the tropics
they must be shielded
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00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:02,680
from the hot rays of the sun,
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00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,200
so the parents provide
the necessary shade.
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00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:07,120
To accomplish this, however,
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00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,960
the gooney must fit the egg into
a feathered pouch beneath its breast.
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00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,000
And so you see,
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00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,920
sitting on a gooney egg
isn't an easy task,
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00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:25,680
even for a gooney.
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00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,000
To each of her water birds,
nature has given a design for living.
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00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:35,280
These designs are many and intricate,
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00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:37,000
full of color and beauty.
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00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:40,880
And when they all blend together,
they become a musical poem,
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00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,160
a rhythmic, flowing rhapsody.
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00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,840
In the strange, fascinating life
of the water birds,
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00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:56,120
there are many secrets.
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00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,360
In this True-Life Adventure
we've explored only a few.
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00:29:59,800 --> 00:30:02,920
But season after season,
as long as life goes on,
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00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,880
the water bird will continue
to be a source of wonder
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00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,920
and mystery and beauty to all mankind.