Diving bird
Diving birds are birds which plunge into water to catch
fish or other food. They may enter the water from flight, as does the brown pelican, or they may dive from the surface of the water. More than likely they evolved from birds already adapted for swimming that were equipped with such adaptations as lobed or webbed feet for propulsion.Foot-propelled diving birds
Some diving birds - for example, the extinct Hesperornithes of the Cretaceous Period - propelled themselves with their feet. They were large, streamlined, flightless birds with teeth for grasping slippery prey. Today, cormorants, loons, and grebes are the major groups of foot propelled diving birds.Wing-propelled diving birds
Other diving birds are wing - propelled, most notably the penguins, dippers and auks.
