Herring Gull: description, reproduction and interesting facts. seagull bird

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The seagull is the largest bird in its family of 60 species. Despite the romantic image, he is a notorious predator and robber. Sea gulls attack a person, scaring him away.

The seagull has dimensions up to 2 kg in weight and 80 cm in length. In flight, the wingspan is 170 cm. It seems much more powerful and graceful in the air.

The plumage is white with black wings on the outside and back. In winter, the head turns white. A distinctive feature is a bright yellow curved beak, 6 cm in size, with a red spot at the base.

The paws of the sea gull are soft pink, which distinguishes it from other members of the genus. The iris is light. Reminds me of an eagle. Change the color of the feathers several times a year. It darkens, it brightens. Sexual dimorphism is not observed.

The sea gull prefers to nest on sea coasts. Range Antarctica and Central Europe. Population expansion is already reaching the American continent. In Russia, they inhabit the shores of the Barents Sea.

Countless amount falls on the port in Murmansk. When winter comes, they migrate, move to more southern areas. Sea gulls often fly to Italy, live on lakes and reservoirs. They hibernate in places where fishing waste and garbage accumulate.

Lives in large groups, often adjacent to the herring gull. She is an excellent hunter. The gull bird feeds mainly on fish, and is able to attack salmon. It looks out for dinner from a great height, draws its wings and flies headlong into the water, plunging up to 1 m in depth. A small one can still become her victim

It is also able to grab the victim and throw it to the ground, tearing it to pieces already there. The sea gull swoops down on everyone who is smaller:

• small birds
• feathered eggs
• shellfish

The daily diet should include 400 gr. In an unsuccessful one, when the hunt did not bring positive results, they take away food from people, animals, settle in landfills where everyone will eat.

The sea gull bird forms in pairs from April to July. They nest on cliffs, rocks. Eggs are hidden from prying eyes. Puberty occurs at 5 years of age. They build a nest from twigs and leaves of small diameter.

Both parents take turns incubating. There are 2-3 pieces in a clutch. A month later, chicks appear. The chicks of predatory sea gulls are gray-brown speckled in color, fluff on the body. Absolutely helpless. For another 50 days they do not leave the nest. After 8 weeks they change plumage and learn to fly. One clutch per year. Couples are monogamous and keep in touch for more than 360 days.

Enemies

There are few of them. Mostly golden eagles and sharks. But small chicks become easy prey for both ground and air predators (storks, crows, raccoons, wild cats, killer whales).

1. Destroying mice and rats, the predatory sea gull benefits humanity by acting as an orderly. But with a large population, it poses a serious danger.
2. When she attacks prey, other gulls give way to her. The body temperature is 40 degrees, legs - 8, and paws - zero.
3. In Salt Lake City there is a monument to the bird. Since they saved the land from a raid of locusts.
4. The sea gull bird attacks a person, taking away food or openly stealing whatever they want on the seashore. Her voice is low and rough. In flight, spinning and speeds up to 110 km / h.

Birds live in natural conditions for about 25 years. By the age of 30, they are already considered centenarians. The seagull bird has more than 200,000 specimens, so they are not threatened with extinction and disappearance from our planet.

On the contrary, the number is constantly increasing and new areas are populated. This is explained by the fact that a person does not hunt for her, and the seagull has a few enemies.

The sea gull is a bird of the gull family, which forms a separate species in it. It differs from all representatives of its family in that it has the largest dimensions.

These birds live in the North Atlantic to the south of Greenland and in the central part of Europe. They prefer a sedentary lifestyle. Some representatives of this species migrate in winter to areas with a warmer climate, but located near the coast of the ocean. There, on large reservoirs and lakes, sea gulls winter. The sea gull can survive the winter quite well, feeding on the garbage dumps of cities and towns located on the coast.

Appearance and lifespan

The sea gull has a body length of 70 to 79 cm. The weight of the bird is from 1.3 to 2 kg., The wingspan is approximately 170 cm. Some large individuals can weigh up to 2.5 kg.

The plumage of this species of gulls is white, the outer side of the wings is black. At the tip of a large yellow beak there is a red spot, the legs of the bird are pale pink. In older chicks, the plumage is brown with brown spots, which changes to white after four years. The flight speed of a sea gull reaches 110 km/h. This species of gulls has no natural enemies. Life expectancy in the wild is 22-25 years, in rare cases a bird can live up to 27 years.

Feeding the sea gull

We can say that the sea gull is omnivorous, although the basis of its diet is fish. An adult needs 500 grams of food per day. In addition to fish, the seagull feeds on small birds, rodents, and in general any animals that are smaller than it. The seagull, according to its predilections in hunting, is a bird of prey that attacks any living creature. Capturing the victim with its paws, the seagull kills it with a blow of a strong and powerful beak. Another method inherent in the sea gull is to raise the prey to a height and drop it onto stones, so that then, on the ground, tear it apart with a strong beak.

Sea gulls are robbers and do not disdain to take prey from other representatives of birds. They rob and destroy the nests of other birds - herring gulls, guillemots, ducks, terns. They can also eat insects, but their share in the total diet of these gulls is quite small. A lot of sea gulls flock to city dumps, where they arrange noisy bazaars. Sea gulls not only host garbage dumps, but also hunt rats, mice and there. Eating rodents, these birds benefit humans, however, they also cause harm, scattering and dragging garbage away from containers.

reproduction

During the breeding season, which lasts from April to July, the black-backed gull nests on the coastal slopes of the rocks. From twigs and grass, he arranges a nest for himself, which is 70-80 cm in diameter.

Listen to the voice of the sea gull

These birds prefer to nest in small groups, nesting at a considerable distance from each other. The clutch usually contains 2-3 large eggs, which are incubated by both parents for the entire incubation period, which lasts 27-29 days. Hatched chicks remain in the nest for about 50 days. Having got out of the nest, they begin to fly and reach puberty along with the change of children's plumage, that is, at the age of 4-5 years.

Enemies of the sea gull

In their natural habitat, adult sea gulls have no enemies. But the chicks of this bird are vulnerable. They are hunted by large birds -

Family Gulls / Laridae

This family includes gulls - one of the most famous birds, because they are usually numerous on beaches, rivers and lakes where people relax. They attract attention with their bright behavior and loudness. And having got into the habit of begging for handouts and eating in the garbage, the seagulls completely ceased to be afraid of people. As already mentioned, some species on all continents began to nest in cities, where in some places they compete with rock pigeons in terms of numbers. Seagulls vary in size. There are very small species - from a thrush, others - from a goose. The plumage of gulls is mostly white, but the upper body is usually darker - from light gray to black, the head in many species is black or brown, the tips of the wings are black. Only adult birds have this coloration. Juveniles in most species are light brown variegated in color. The wings are long but rather broad. The beak is strong, with a hook at the end. Legs of normal length, often red, yellow or black. The front 3 fingers are connected by a membrane, the back finger is very small. Seagulls are great flyers, but they also walk well on land. They swim, but they cannot dive. They usually nest in colonies, occupying a variety of places - flat sandy and grassy islands, large stones, steep rocks. Some species nest in trees. For seagulls, it is important that predatory animals do not get them. Almost all species build large nests from plant material. In a typical clutch of gulls, there are 3 olive-colored eggs with brown spots and dots, condensed to a blunt end. All seagulls are monogamous and caring parents. Incubation from 20 to 30 days. Chicks have a protective coloration. They sit in the nest for a long time if they are not disturbed, although they can run well already on the second day of life. Frightened, they scatter from the nest, hide and become inconspicuous. Seagulls feed on animal food, which is obtained on water and on land. They can eat locusts or wireworms, accompanying the tractor in the fields. Some feed in certain situations on small mouse-like rodents and even ground squirrels. But mostly gulls feed, of course, near the water. Food is swallowed by sitting down on water or grabbing on the fly. They can swallow disproportionately large objects, since the thin flat branches of the lower jaw can diverge widely to the sides (streptognathism). In some cases, they feed on waste from various mining industries. Seagulls are distributed all over the world, except for the most polar points of the globe. They keep mainly near the water, but they are also found in the depths of deserts or on high mountain plateaus. Waders are considered the closest relatives of gulls, but fossil forms uniting them have not yet been found. Real gulls have been known since the Lower Miocene, and even then they were very close to modern ones. There are 45 species in the gull family, the vast majority of them - 38 species - belong to the genus Larus. In Russia, there are gulls of 5 genera and 22 species, 20 of them are nesting, 17 species belong to the genus Larus.

Gull /Larus ridibundus

Inhabits a variety of inland water bodies; on migration and wintering grounds, it also stays along the sea coasts. In spring, black-headed gulls arrive early, when water bodies begin to open up and the snow has not yet completely melted. Depending on the geographical location of the area, this is observed from the end of February to the end of April. The first time after arrival, the birds roam near the nesting sites and start building nests relatively late, after the melt waters subside. Birds are involved in breeding at the age of about two years and less often at the age of one. They nest in colonies ranging in size from a few to several thousand pairs. Sometimes the colonies are mixed with other species of gulls and terns. Nesting places are mainly stagnant and slowly flowing water bodies - lakes, swamps, river backwaters and channels, surrounded by vegetation or having floodplains. Colonies are usually located on the same hard-to-reach places - on floodplains, swampy banks, etc. In April - May, and in the north even in early June, the female lays 3, less often 2 or 4 eggs of a dirty greenish color with gray and brown spots. Egg sizes: 51-67 X 36-41 mm. Both birds incubate for 22-24 days. Hatched chicks after 12-16 hours can already stand. From the same time, and sometimes even a day later, the parents begin to feed them, and before that they exist due to the remnants of the yolk sac. Adult chicks are fed 4-5 times a day by belching, throwing it into their mouths. Already at the age of two days, the chicks begin to make attempts to peck at the food regurgitated in front of them. At about the age of 10 days, young gulls move from the nest to thickets of dense vegetation, while holding on to the brood. An "alien" chick running past the nest, and even more so trying to climb into it or join the brood, is usually killed by an old gull with a blow to the head with its beak. At the same time, both small puffies and large, almost fledged chicks suffer. On the territory of the nesting colony of gulls, you can always find the corpses of chicks. At the age of 18-20 days, the chicks begin to roam on their own, and adults cease to be hostile to "stranger" young gulls. At the age of five weeks, the young fledge and begin to fly, but they become completely flying at the age of six weeks. In the middle lane, in mid-July, males begin to fly away from the nesting colony, ten days later females follow them, and in early August, young ones. The breeding season ends, and post-nesting migrations begin, gradually turning into an autumn migration. The last flight takes place in September, dragging on in the south until winter. Black-headed gulls feed mainly on animal feed: aquatic and terrestrial insects, mouse-like rodents, fish, frogs, earthworms. Seagulls catch fish only from the surface of the water, and mainly sick individuals. Chicks are fed mainly on insects and earthworms. Food is collected in the immediate vicinity of the nesting colony and, as an exception, they fly to rich forage grounds at a distance of up to 20 km from the nests. Catching harmful rodents and insects, gulls bring great benefits to agriculture.

Seagull white / Pagophila eburnea

The nest is quite large, roughly built of algae, grass and moss, with straws, wood chips and feathers. In July, eggs appear in the nests. Clutch of 2, rarely 1 or 3 eggs of ocher-olive or brownish color with dark spots. Mostly the female incubates for a little less than a month, starting from the laying of the first egg. In August, chicks hatch, dressed in white fluff. Adult birds vigorously defend the nest, attack aliens, while touching a person with their paws. In September, the young rise to the wing. At the end of this month and in October, the seagulls leave their nesting places and begin to lead a nomadic lifestyle. Complete, post-nuptial molting takes place in July - August, partial, pre-nuptial - in March - April. The nutrition of the white gull is peculiar. Perhaps, it mainly feeds on the refuse of sealing and whaling, as well as the excrement of walruses, seals, and polar bears. In this regard, apparently, its distribution is confined to the margins of the ice. She also eats small fish, various invertebrates, and attacks chicks. As a rare species, the white gull deserves protection.

Seagull large polar/ Larus hyperboreus

The construction of nests is not started immediately, but after some time. Nests are arranged on rocks, more often near cliffs, or on gently sloping shores of the sea, rivers, lakes. They nest singly or in small groups, but usually near bird rookeries or on their outskirts. Eggs and chicks from these bazaars serve as the basis of nutrition for both the gulls themselves and their chicks. Both parents build nests. The building itself is careless and is either a hole with almost no lining, or a bunch of moss, grasses and other dry plants with a small tray. The clutch consists of 2-4, usually 3 eggs, varying in color from grayish-buff to pale grayish-brown with dark spots. In different parts of the range, laying time varies greatly: from the first half of May to the first half of July. Eggs are laid at intervals of 48 hours. Both parents incubate for 27-28 days, starting from the laying of the first egg. Therefore, the chicks in the nest are of different ages. They are fed by both members of the couple. The chicks fully fledge in August and take to the wing on different dates of this month. Departure begins in September and continues into October. The great polar gull is an energetic predator. It feeds on eggs, chicks and adult birds of small and medium size both in bird colonies and in the tundra. In addition, it feeds on marine waste, the remains of whaling, carrion, fish, aquatic invertebrates, and berries. Settling near bird colonies and eider colonies, it poses a serious threat to their inhabitants.

brown-headed gull/ Larus brunnicephalus

Fork-tailed gull/ Xema sabini

small gull / Larus minutes

Then it is absent again and appears for nesting in the Baikal region, in the basin of the upper and middle Lena, in Eastern Mongolia and further east almost to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. In addition to these three large areas, it occurs in places in very tiny islands, absent in vast spaces. Almost everywhere - a migratory bird. The main wintering grounds lie in the west - in the area of ​​the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It also winters in smaller numbers along the shores of the Baltic and North Seas, near the islands of Great Britain, in the south of the Caspian Sea, in Japan and South China. Settles in swampy areas of lakes and swamps with water windows. Outside of nesting time, it keeps both on fresh water bodies and on the sea coast. The Little Gull arrives later than most other gulls and terns, from late March to mid-May. Begins breeding mostly in the third year of life. Breeds in colonies from several pairs to 50 and even several hundred pairs, often together with white-winged tern. Nests are located on an open salt marsh, among sedges and reeds, on tussocks, reed floors, etc. The nest is either a small hole with a meager lining of dry blades of grass, or a relatively large building made of dry stems and leaves of aquatic plants. Nest dimensions: nest diameter 17-30 cm, sometimes up to 55 cm, tray diameter 10-12 cm, tray depth 3.5 cm. The nest is built by both members of the pair. At the end of May - the first half of June, full masonry can be found. The clutch most often consists of 3 olive-green eggs with streaks. Egg sizes: 39-42 X 29-31 mm. Both parents incubate for 23 days, starting from the laying of the first egg. At the age of 21-24 days, the young take to the wing and, together with their parents, leave the nesting sites. At the end of July and not later than the beginning of August, adults molt and begin a gradual departure. Little gulls feed mainly on insects, which they catch in flight, like swallows, usually hunting above the water. Sometimes they collect them from the water or catch small crustaceans in shallow waters. During wintering, small fish occupies a prominent place in the diet.

Little Chinese gull/ Larus saundersi

Lesser polar gull/Larus glaucoides

sea ​​gull/ Larus marinus

From the northern parts of the range, it flies south for the winter, reaching the Mediterranean Sea. In the southern parts it makes only minor migrations. The described species is a purely sea bird. Inhabits rocky sea coasts and only occasionally shores of lakes. Outside of nesting time, it stays on the sea near the coasts, occasionally flies to fresh inland waters. A large sea gull arrives for nesting relatively early: in the Baltic Sea in March, in the north in April. Appears in pairs, which she seems to be constant. It usually breeds in colonies of several dozen pairs. Sexual maturity occurs in the third year of life. In early May, mating games are observed and nest building is soon observed. The latter are located on rocks or a flat bank, often in tall grass. They are built from twigs, grass, algae, usually lined with feathers, sometimes lined with pebbles, fragments of shells, etc. Nest dimensions: nest diameter 60-70 cm, nest height 15-20 cm, tray diameter 20-25 cm. Eggs in number 2-5, most often 3, are laid in May - June. Their coloration is from grayish-ocher to olive-brown with dark spots. Egg sizes: 67-83 x 50-56 mm. Both parents incubate for 26-30 days, starting from the laying of the first egg. Therefore, the chicks do not hatch at the same time. The appearance of chicks on the Murmansk coast occurs in the second half of June and early July. Both parents feed them from the second or third day after hatching. They are fed with semi-digested burps, which are placed in front of the chick. Chicks develop relatively slowly. At the age of one week they develop stumps, at the age of 25 days - a feather dress, in which only the remnants of fluff remain. The chicks rise to the wing at the age of about 45 days, but they begin to fly well only at about two months of age. But even after this, the broods stay together until departure or migration. The entire breeding season on the Murmansk coast takes about three months in general: from mid-May to mid-August. Autumn departure in the northern parts of the range occurs in the second half of August - September, in the southern - in November. Full, post-nuptial molting begins in June and ends in September. The great sea gull is an omnivorous bird with a great propensity for predation. It feeds on fish, including rather large ones, eggs, chicks and adult birds, especially those living in bird colonies (guillemots, kittiwakes, etc.). It also eats lemmings, carrion and all kinds of garbage, aquatic crustaceans, sea urchins and, finally, berries. The seagull itself catches fish reluctantly, but usually collects it at the place of fisheries. Fish, chicks and eggs of seabirds serve as the main food for chicks as well. During nesting time, it feeds in the coastal strip of the sea and on the shores, the rest of the time - at sea.

Pacific sea gull/ Larus schistisagus

Seagull relic/ Larus relictus

In these two colonies, the number of nesting birds in different years varies from a few dozen to 300 pairs. Often, nests die during storms, or birds suddenly abandon them for unknown reasons. In some years, gulls do not nest at all. It is believed that there are only 600-800 pairs of relic gulls in the world. It is possible that this species nests somewhere else along the lakes in Western China. Where it hibernates is unknown. In winter attire, these gulls are very easy to confuse with closely related species. The nests of relic gulls are very simple. Eggs are laid in early - mid-May. The color of the eggs is unusual for gulls - whitish-olive-clay with dark and light spots. Incubation lasts 24-26 days. The chicks are covered with white down. The relic gull is one of the rarest birds in the world. It is included in the Red Books of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Russia and many other countries. It is strictly forbidden to shoot, collect, and transport any materials from country to country.

Herring Gull/ Larus argentatus

A strong, bold, aggressive gull with pronounced predatory habits. Like close relatives, her plumage is white, with the exception of a bluish-gray back and wings; the ends of the latter are black, with white apical and preapical spots. The herring gull is very widespread: in the northern and temperate latitudes of the eastern and western hemispheres. Breeds in Europe and Asia from the coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Iran, Central Asia, Xinjiang, Mongolia, as well as on the Azores, Canaries and Madeira Islands; in America - from the islands of the Arctic Ocean south to the northern parts of British Columbia and from there to the Great Lakes region. In the southern parts of the range lives settled or makes small migrations, in the northern - migratory. It winters along the shores of the Baltic, North Seas, off the coast of Great Britain, in the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian Seas and south to the northern regions of Africa, India and Indochina; in America - to Mexico, Florida and the Antilles. It settles along large rivers, especially in their lower reaches, sea and ocean coasts, along fresh and salt lakes, more often fish, but often at a distance of several tens of kilometers from the latter. Migratory birds winter on the coasts. Herring gulls arrive at nesting sites early, before the opening of water bodies, when the first thawed patches appear. In the south of our country, this is observed in March, in the north - in May. Shortly after arrival, they start building nests. They nest colonially and rarely in solitary pairs. The number of colonies is very diverse, from several pairs to several hundred pairs. It is characteristic that, unlike many other truly colonial birds, their nests are located at some distance from each other, usually at a distance of 3-5 meters or more. Both the male and the female take part in building a new nest or repairing an old one. This entire process takes approximately three days. Depending on the geographic location of the area, eggs are laid in the period from late April to early June. A full clutch contains from 1 to 4, more often 3 eggs of brown, brownish-olive, and sometimes blue color with dark streaks and spots, thickening at the blunt end. Egg sizes: 65-81 x 41-54 mm. Eggs are laid with an interval of 1-2, less often 3 days. Incubation, in which both members of the pair take part, begins with the laying of the first egg and lasts 26-29 days. During all this time, the nest does not remain empty for a minute, probably due to the fear of neighbors. Hatching birds replace each other several times a day. During incubation, the bird turns the eggs over with a peculiar movement of the legs and body, without resorting to the help of the beak. The chicks hatch helpless, do not feed and lie motionless in the nest, but already on the second day, when danger appears, they leave the nest and hide nearby in the grass. Normally, they leave the nests at the age of 3-4 days and stay close to them as broods. When threatened, they run to the water and swim away. From the second day of life, the chicks require food from their parents. The latter feed them with regurgitated food, which the adult bird holds in its beak, and the chick tears off small pieces and swallows them. Parents carefully guard the nest and, nevertheless, there are cases when neighboring birds eat the chicks. For about 10 days, the chicks stay on land, and then gradually move to the water, where they spend most of the day. At the age of about one and a half months, they reach the weight of adults and begin to fly little by little. In July - August, the young become flying. For a week and a half after that, they continue to keep the broods, but then they move on to an independent life, gathering for the night in large groups. At this time, they begin migrations, which gradually lengthen. In autumn, young gulls can be encountered hundreds of kilometers from their nesting site. Soon the departure of birds begins, which in different parts of the range falls mainly in September - October. Full, post-nuptial molting begins in June and ends by October. The Herring Gull is an omnivorous bird. It feeds on fish, mollusks, crabs, echinoderms, small rodents, eggs and chicks of various birds, insects, fish waste, carrion, various berries. Settling near fish hatcheries, on the outskirts of bird colonies, in hunting farms, it can cause some harm. The extermination of mouse-like rodents and harmful insects is of great benefit.

gray-winged gull/ Larus glaucescens

gray gull / Larus canus

In addition, isolated nesting has been noted for the mountain lakes of Transcaucasia and adjacent parts of Turkey and Iran. Migratory and nomadic bird. The main wintering areas are located on the coast of the Caspian, Mediterranean Seas, in Asia Minor, China and Japan, in America - up to southern California. Inhabits large rivers and lakes, even swamps, as well as sea coasts. In spring, common gulls arrive in the southern parts of the range and on the Murmansk coast in March and April, in the lower reaches of the northern rivers - in May and early June. They usually fly in small flocks from 3-8 to 30-50 birds. They nest both in separate pairs and in colonies from 6-8 to 70 pairs. Often nest together with gulls, black terns, sometimes with lesser gulls. Nests are built on rocks, islets, river spits, usually on elevations, hummocks in the middle of the water, fin deposits, on reed rafts, etc. Full clutches, usually of 3 eggs, occur in June. The eggs are olive-gray with blackish spots. Egg sizes: 51-61 X 38-43 mm. They are deposited with an interval of I-2 days. Both parents incubate for 25-26 days. Chicks hatch on the Murmansk coast in the second half of June - early July, in Kazakhstan - in May - early June. Hatched chicks remain in the nest for 3-5 days and then stay nearby. They are very mobile, they flee from danger, hide in the grass or run to the water and swim away. Parents are very attached to the chicks and vigorously protect them. At about a month old, the chicks put on a feather outfit and soon begin to fly. The development of the chick from the beginning of incubation of the egg to the rise to the wing takes 57 - 60 days. In the colonies of the common gulls, a rather high mortality of eggs and chicks is noted, mainly from various predators. In August, flying young, together with adults, are grouped into flocks and begin to lead a nomadic lifestyle. Gradually, these migrations turn into departure, which occurs in September and October. The gray gull feeds on a variety of foods - fish, various aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial insects, mouse-like rodents, berries. The extermination of harmful insects and rodents brings undoubted benefits.

mediterranean gull/ Larus melanocephalus

slender-billed gull/ Larus genei

In the countries of the former USSR, it inhabits the coasts of the Black, Azov, Caspian Seas and some lakes of Kazakhstan. Partly settled, partly migratory and nomadic bird. Winters in Northwest Africa, Mediterranean,Mekran coast and South Caspian. Breeds mainly on sea coasts and on large saline and brackish lakes.inside the mainland.It settles in colonies, sometimes many hundreds of individuals together, nesting exclusively on islands and less often on swampy coasts. The slender-billed gull feeds mainly on small fish and various invertebrates, both aquatic and terrestrial. During the nesting period, it catches in significant numbers various land insects, mainly locusts, after which it flies far into the steppe.

The common or black-headed gull is the most common of all European gulls. She received her Latin name "laughter" for her characteristic sharp cries, similar to hoarse laughter.
Habitat. Distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Breeds in Europe, Asia and eastern North America. It winters near the eastern, southern and western coasts of Eurasia, as well as on the northern coasts of Africa and in the western part of the Atlantic.

Species: Common, or black-headed gull - Larus ridibundus.
Family: Gulls.
Order: Rzhankovye.
Class: Birds.
Subtype: Vertebrates.

Habitat.
The black-headed gull is native to the Northern Hemisphere. Its nesting range extends throughout Eurasia from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, and wintering grounds lie in Africa, South and East Asia, East and West Atlantic and on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Recently, black-headed gulls have begun nesting on the eastern shores of North America. Well adapted to different natural conditions, they willingly settle along the shores of the seas and inland waters, on peat and saline bogs, coastal islands, floodplains and among sand dunes. Gull colonies often appear in the neighborhood of arable land, gravel quarries and pond farms.

Security.
For a long time, seagulls were thoughtlessly exterminated. Hunters shot at them for fun or exercise in accuracy, destroying thousands of birds, and the peasants considered gulls to be malicious pests of crops. At present, thanks to decisive conservation measures, the population of all gulls, including black-headed gulls, has increased significantly, and today it is a completely prosperous, prosperous species, the range of which has noticeably expanded in the past century.

Did you know?

• In search of food, the black-headed gull sometimes flies up to 15 km from the roosting place and patrols an area of ​​800 sq. km.
• During the nesting period, insects form the basis of the diet of black-headed gulls: beetles, flies, grasshoppers and dragonflies, as well as other invertebrates, including spiders and centipedes.
• One gull eats 70-225 g of food per day. In the first week of life, the chicks receive 22 g of food daily, in the second 50 g, and in the next - from 80 to 150 g.
• The black-headed gull often takes food not only from its relatives, but also from birds of other species. Having flown into the prey, the gull beats it with its beak and makes it drop or burp the swallowed prey. The victims of such robberies are often tern chicks, which as a result die of starvation. During the day, the black-headed gull is able to take away about 160 earthworms from one lapwing.
• In nesting colonies of gulls, nests are located at a distance of 50-75 cm from each other. Each nest is surrounded by a "forbidden zone" where outsiders are not allowed to go. Distinguished by an absurd and aggressive disposition, gulls fiercely defend their territory from their neighbors.
• Seagulls nesting in places rich in food - for example, in the neighborhood of city dumps - do not fly away to warmer climes for the winter.

Reproduction.
Having taken off at the end of February on a long journey to their native nesting places, the gulls get home no later than the end of March. Having circled over familiar places, the birds gather in huge flocks in the marshy meadows and shallows located nearby, where “bridesmaids” take place, and each is looking for a mate. Thousands of nesting colonies, as a rule, are located near the water itself. Violent fights break out between males for the best nest site; having captured the site, the gentleman leads the female to it. For several days, the couple busily build a nest of twigs lined with soft blades of grass from the inside, and from time to time they perform ritual mating dances in front of each other. Before mating, the husband will certainly feed his partner. The black-headed gull clutch contains from 1 to 4 eggs, and both parents take turns incubating it. Hatched chicks are covered with variegated grayish-brown fluff. Already after 12-16 hours they can stand, and in case of danger jump out of the nest and hide in the grass. After 10 days, they leave the nest, but still remain under parental care. At a month old, young gulls take to the wing and move on to their bread, but for a long time they are not separated from their parents. Black-headed gulls reach sexual maturity at the age of three.

Lifestyle.
Black-headed gulls live in noisy breeding colonies, sometimes numbering many thousands of birds. Up to 100,000 gulls can nest in a fairly spacious area. Each colony is a quarrelsome community of close-knit family groups made up of married couples and their offspring. From morning to evening, seagulls alone or in flocks get food. Their varied diet includes earthworms, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, small fish, frogs, fruits and berries, young leaves and grass. Huge flocks of gulls often feed in landfills, where there is always plenty of food waste, or accompany fishing boats in the hope of profiting from the offal remaining after cutting fish. Looking out for prey, the gull flies low over water or land with its head down, and its widely spread wings and tail allow it to deftly maneuver in the air. Noticing a tidbit, the bird immediately dives and picks it up on the fly. In this way, seagulls prey on insects and pluck fruits from branches. Attempts to rob a careless relative are often accompanied by violent fights, when sharp beaks and wings are used. On the slope of the day, the whole flock together leaves the feeding places and flies away for the night to a place sheltered from the wind and inaccessible to predators.

Common, or black-headed gull -Larus ridibundus.
Length: 37-42 cm.
Wingspan: 95-105 cm.
Weight: male - 235-400 g, female - 190-280 g.
Number of eggs in clutch: 1-4.
Incubation period: 23-26 days.
Sexual maturity: 3 years.
Food: small fauna, plants, garbage.
Life span: approx. 30 years.

Structure.
White rims. White rims around the eyes are present only in adults.
Head. In the mating season, the plumage on the head acquires a dark brown color.
Beak. A strong and long beak is painted in bright red.
Coloring. The back is gray-silver; coccyx, tail and abdomen are white; wingtips are black.
Legs. The three forward-facing toes of the red feet are connected by swimming membranes.
Wings. Long and narrow wings are pointed at the ends.
Flight feathers of the first order. The black flight feathers of the first order are very elongated and have an asymmetrical shape.

related species.
The gull family includes marine, oceanic and freshwater terns and true gulls. All members of the family are endowed with long wings and fly beautifully. Terns, which, according to some taxonomists, form a separate family, dive well. Real gulls, represented by 82 species, are good swimmers, but they cannot dive. Both nest in numerous colonies. The Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) lives in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly on the Scandinavian Peninsula. Its wingspan reaches 140 cm. The sea gull (Larus marinus) inhabits the Atlantic coast of North America and Greenland, Svalbard, Scandinavia, Novaya Zemlya and Brittany. The wingspan of this bird - the largest of all gulls - reaches 165 cm.

Description

Seagulls are a fairly uniform group of birds, the members of which are well recognizable and sometimes difficult to distinguish from each other. Their characteristic features are a massive body, long curved wings, a medium-length massive and slightly bent down beak, and well-developed swimming membranes on the legs.

Seagulls vary in size from 25 to 81 cm, and weight from 100 g to 2 kg. The smallest member of the family is the small gull ( Larus minutes) - its weight is only 100-150 g, and the largest sea gull ( Larus marinus) - its weight can exceed 2 kg. However, for the most part they are large or medium-sized birds, white or light gray in color, often with black markings on the head and wings. The upper and lower parts of the body, as a rule, are contrasting - a dark top alternates with a light white bottom. It is believed that the light belly of the gulls hides them from the fish that the birds hunt for. In some small species of gulls, such as the Delaware gull ( Larus delawarensis) or sea dove ( Larus genei) during the mating season, the lower part of the body acquires light pink or beige tones, which then quickly disappear. Young birds that have not reached puberty look somewhat different than adults - most of their plumage is covered with dark spots, spots, stripes - this camouflage hides birds from land-based predators. The timing of the acquisition of marriage attire varies in different species - in some cases, 2-, 3-, and 4-year cycles are distinguished. A certain pattern has been noticed - the larger the species, the longer the cycle lasts. For example, common, or black-headed gull ( Larus ridibundus) after two years acquires an "adult look". At the gray gull ( Larus canus) this period takes three years, while the silvery ( Larus argentatus) all four. If in breeding attire the belonging of a particular individual to a particular species, as a rule, does not cause difficulties, then in birds that have not reached puberty, morphological features can be noticeable only to a specialist. Males and females are similarly colored, although they may differ slightly in size from each other.

reproduction

They usually nest in colonies of a few to several hundred pairs of gulls, and sometimes share with ducks, grebes, cormorants, herons, and other water birds. In temperate or arctic climates, most gulls nest once a year and around the same time. Some southern species, such as the swallow-tailed gull living in the Galapagos ( Creagrus furcatus), nests at any time of the year. If the first clutch is lost, the female can lay her eggs again. All species are monogamous; as a rule, couples persist for a long time. During the mating season, the male ritually feeds the female; the tasks of the male also include choosing the location of the nest and its arrangement. The nest is located right on the ground - on the coastal rocks, the sea beach, at the mouth of the river, in the tundra, in a swampy area or on the shore of a lake. A somewhat unusual nesting place for the family in the inhabitant of Chile and Ecuador, the gray gull ( Larus modestus) - during the breeding season, she leaves the Pacific coast and deepens into the arid desert Atacama, where she lays her eggs. In some cases, such as the Magellanic or Gray Gull ( Larus scoresbii), it is a simple depression in the ground without lining, but most often consists of a pile of pebbles or vegetation. As a rule, the clutch consists of two or three eggs, usually dark brown with spots. Less often, the general background of eggs can be bluish-green or olive. Both members of the pair incubate the eggs, but the female spends most of the time in the nest while the male guards the territory. The incubation period is generally 20 to 30 days, but in most species it lasts 24 to 26 days. Chicks are usually semi-brood type, after hatching they are covered with dense down of pale gray or fawn color with mottles, which camouflages them against the background of the terrain and helps to hide from predators. For one or two weeks, the chicks remain in the nest, where they are cared for by both parents. In some species, chicks are of the brood type - they leave the nest for several hours and hide on the water. The fledging period, when the birds begin to fly, lasts from four to six weeks, and if the chicks are not disturbed by weather conditions or predators, they stay with their parents during this period. In small species of gulls, sexual maturity of young birds occurs after 2-3 years, in large species later - sometimes only after 5 years.

Nutrition

Seagulls in Russia