Baltic Sea

Sea in Sight Erasmus+ Project

Fauna of the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea - basic facts

Grey seal

Grey seals live in groups. They live along the coast of the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

Grey seals eat mostly fish such as : flatfish, cod, pollock, whiting, haddock, as well as octopuses, squids, crustaceans and also seabirds.

Average size for males is 207cm, females are 180cm long. Their flippers are about 25cm. Females have got silver-grey fur with dark spots and males have got darker fur with grey spots on it.

Description Diet Ecology

Porpoise

Porpoises are found in different environments, including rivers, coastal and shelf waters and open ocean. Calves are typically born in the spring . Porpoises produce ultrasonic cliks. In contrast to many dolphin species, porpoises do not form large social groups.

Porpoises eat different creatures. They mainly feed on fish. They may also invertebrates. Their diet depends on seasons. Their stomachs also contain some deep-sea benthic organisms.

Porpoises are the smallest of the toothed whales. They are different from dolphins because they do not have a distinct beak. They are about 1.4 metres long and weigh up to 54 kilograms. They have streamlined bodies and two flippers. Porpoises use echolocation.

Description Diet Ecology

Black-headed gull

They live in groups. They live near the coast. They are in danger of extinction. They always remove eggshell removal once the chicks have hatched. This way they reduce risk of predation.

Black headed gulls eat insects, fish, seeds, worms and scraps. It feeds on small vertebrates and sometimes eats carcass.

This gull is 38–44 cm long with a 94–105 cm wingspan and weighs from 190-400 g..The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, although does look black from a distance), pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red beaks and legs.

Description Diet Ecology

Black headed gull with newly hatched chicks

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Herring

They live in big groups They live in the open sea and also near the coast, for example in the Baltic Sea or in the Atlantic Ocean. They aren’t in danger of extinction- In the wild they live about 20-25 years

Herrings feed on phytoplankton, and as they mature, they start to consume larger organisms. They also feed on zooplankton, tiny animals found in sea surface waters, and small fish and fish larvae.

There are about 30 cm long, They have long and narrow bodies and silver-grey scales.

Description Diet Ecology

Oystercatcher

Nearly all species of these birds are monogamous. They have only one partner for a lifetime. Oystercatchers can be found on coasts, worldwide. However, they don’t accept polar and tropical regions, such as Africa and South East Asia. Like the cuckoo, they sometimes lay their eggs in the nests of other species such as seagulls.

Oystercatchers specialise in eating shellfish, especially mussels and cockles.

Oystercatcher is a big, black and white bird. It also has a contrasting, orange beak.

Description Diet Ecology

Tern

I t usually eats fish. They plunge dive for fish, either in the sea or in freshwater, but molluscs, crustaceans and other invertebrates are a significant part of the diet in some areas

Terns live in groups. They are vulnerable to predation by mammals such as rats and American mink, and large birds including gulls, owls and herons.They live on the coast of Europe, North America, South America and west Africa They are in danger of extinction.Terns are long-living birds. some individuals lived as long as 34 years.

Tern is a small, white bird with light grey upperparts, a black head, orange legs and a narrow, pointed beak. It also has grey wings.

Description Diet Ecology

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