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55-550: Larus argentatus vegae Larus heuglini vegae The Vega gull , East Siberian gull , or East Siberian herring gull ( Larus vegae ) is a large gull of the herring gull / lesser black-backed gull complex which breeds in Northeast Asia . Its classification is still controversial and uncertain. It is variously treated as a separate species, as a subspecies of the American herring gull ( L. smithsonianus ) or included with both
110-450: A behaviour seen in other animal species, such as elephants, wolves, and the fathead minnow . Lasting between 22 and 26 days, incubation begins after the first egg is laid but is not continuous until after the second egg is laid, meaning that the first two chicks hatch at about the same time, and the third some time later. Young chicks are brooded by their parents for about one or two weeks, and often at least one parent stays behind to guard
165-490: A few species do live on islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia . Many species breed in coastal colonies, with a preference for islands, and one species, the grey gull , breeds in the interior of dry deserts far from water. Considerable variety exists in the family and species may breed and feed in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial habitats. Most gull species are migratory , with birds moving to warmer habitats during
220-498: A higher level of synchronisation in larger colonies. The eggs of gulls are usually dark tan to brown or dark olive with dark splotches and scrawl markings, and they are well camouflaged. Both sexes incubate the eggs; incubation bouts last between one and four hours during the day, and one parent incubates through the night. Research on various bird species, including gulls, suggests that females form pair bonds with other females to obtain alloparental care for their dependent offspring,
275-521: A highly developed social structure. For example, many gull colonies display mobbing behaviour, attacking and harassing predators and other intruders. Certain species, such as the herring gull, have exhibited tool-use behaviour, for example using pieces of bread as bait with which to catch goldfish . Many species of gulls have learned to coexist successfully with humans and thrive in human habitats. Others rely on kleptoparasitism to get their food. Gulls have been observed preying on live whales, landing on
330-404: A maximum age of 49 years recorded for the herring gull . Gulls nest in large, densely packed, noisy colonies. They lay two or three speckled eggs in nests composed of vegetation. The young are precocial , born with dark mottled down and mobile upon hatching. Gulls are resourceful, inquisitive, and intelligent, the larger species in particular, demonstrating complex methods of communication and
385-529: A mixture of both natural prey and human refuse. The gulls relied substantially on the Henslow's swimming crab ( Polybius henslowii ). Yet, in times when local prey availability is low, the gulls shift to human-related food. These temporal shifts from a marine to terrestrial prey highlight the resilience adult gulls have and their ability to keep chick condition consistent. Human disturbance has also shown to have an effect on gull breeding, in which hatching failure
440-493: A narrow black collar at the base of the hood. Young birds have a similar tricoloured wing pattern, but the grey is replaced by brown, and the tail has a black terminal band. Juveniles take two years to attain full adult plumage . Sabine's gulls have an unusual moult pattern for gulls. Fledged birds retain their juvenile plumage through the autumn and do not start moulting into their first winter plumage until they have reached their wintering grounds. Adults have their complete moult in
495-446: A number of behaviour and ecological differences. Mitochondrial DNA studies confirmed that they are not closely related, and the closest relative of Sabine's gull is now thought to be the ivory gull , another Arctic species. The two species are thought to have separated around 6 million years ago, longer ago than most groups of gull species, with this pair splitting from the kittiwakes about 8 million years ago. Geographical variation
550-569: A number of years after the break-up. Gulls also display high levels of site fidelity , returning to the same colony after breeding there once and even usually breeding at the same location within that colony. Gull colonies can vary from just a few pairs to over a hundred thousand pairs, and may be exclusive to that gull species or shared with other seabird species. A few species nest singly, and single pairs of band-tailed gulls may breed in colonies of other bird species. Within colonies, gull pairs are territorial , defending an area of varying size around
605-410: A red spot for the larger white-headed species and red, dark red or black in the smaller species. Gulls are a generalist species that can thrive in various environments and survive on a widely varied diet. They are the least specialised of all the seabirds, and their morphology allows for equal adeptness in swimming, flying, and walking. They are more adept walking on land than most other seabirds, and
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#1732869600859660-647: A separate subspecies named Birula's gull ( Larus vegae birulai ). Vega gulls breed in northeastern Siberia and winter in Japan , Korea , southern and eastern China , and Taiwan . They are regularly seen on St. Lawrence Island and Nome , Alaska and may breed there. There are also records from other parts of western Alaska, and a few photo documented records from Washington and California . In their winter range they are typically found in harbours, on rocky shores and at river mouths. Gull 11, see below Gulls , or colloquially seagulls , are seabirds of
715-560: A suitable surface on which to drop shells, and apparently a learned component to the task exists, as older birds are more successful than younger ones. While overall feeding success is a function of age, the diversity in both prey and feeding methods is not. The time taken to learn foraging skills may explain the delayed maturation in gulls. Gulls have only a limited ability to dive below the water to feed on deeper prey. To obtain prey from deeper down, many species of gulls feed in association with other animals, where marine hunters drive prey to
770-513: A voyage to look for the Northwest Passage . The birds were found breeding on low-lying islands off the west coast of Greenland in July 1818. Sabine's gull is now the only species placed in the genus Xema that was described in 1819 by the zoologist William Leach in an appendix to Ross's account of the voyage. The genus name Xema appears to be an invented name without meaning. Sabine's gull
825-427: Is a layperson's term and is not used by most ornithologists and biologists. The name is used informally to refer to a common local species (or all gulls in general) and has no fixed taxonomic meaning. In common usage, gull-like seabirds that are not technically gulls (e.g. albatrosses , fulmars , terns , and skuas ) may also be referred to as 'seagulls' by the layperson. The American Ornithologists' Union combines
880-505: Is a list of the 54 gull species , presented in taxonomic sequence . The Laridae are known from not-yet-published fossil evidence since the Early Oligocene , some 30–33 million years ago. Three gull-like species were described by Alphonse Milne-Edwards from the early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, France. A fossil gull from the Middle to Late Miocene of Cherry County, Nebraska , US,
935-468: Is a single-prey specialist, and no gull species forages using only a single method. The type of food depends on circumstances, and terrestrial prey such as seeds, fruit, and earthworms are more common during the breeding season while marine prey is more common in the nonbreeding season when birds spend more time on large bodies of water. In addition to taking a wide range of prey, gulls display great versatility in how they obtain prey. Prey can be obtained in
990-414: Is a small gull . It is usually treated as the only species placed in the genus Xema , though some authors include it with other gulls in a wide view of the genus Larus . It has also been known historically as fork-tailed gull or "xeme" (from the genus name). It breeds in colonies on arctic coasts and tundra , laying two or three spotted olive-brown eggs in a ground nest lined with grass. Sabine's gull
1045-401: Is an important part of the pair-bonding process. Most gull nests are mats of herbaceous matter with a central nest cup. Nests are usually built on the ground, but a few species establish their nests on cliffs (the usual preference for kittiwakes), and some choose to nest in trees and high places (e.g. Bonaparte's gulls ). Species that nest in marshes need to construct a nesting platform to keep
1100-454: Is black with a yellow tip, is around 2.5 cm (1 in) long. This species is easy to identify through its striking wing pattern, though at long range it can be confused with immature black-legged kittiwakes . The adult has a pale grey back and wing coverts, four black outer primary flight feathers, and white inner primaries and secondaries. The white tail is slightly forked. The adult's hood darkens during breeding season to dark grey with
1155-485: Is cognate with German Möwe , Danish måge , Swedish mås , Dutch meeuw , Norwegian måke/måse , and French mouette . Typically medium to large in size, gulls are usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They normally have harsh wailing or squawking calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet. Most gulls are ground-nesting piscivores or carnivores which take live food or scavenge opportunistically, particularly
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#17328696008591210-423: Is darker varies from pale grey to black. A few species vary in this, the ivory gull is entirely white, and some like the lava gull and Heermann's gull have partly or entirely grey bodies. The wingtips of most species are black, which improves their resistance to wear and tear, usually with a diagnostic pattern of white markings. The head of a gull may be covered by a dark hood or be entirely white. The plumage of
1265-419: Is directly proportional to the amount of disturbance in a given plot. Certain gull breeds have been known to feast on the eyeballs of baby seals, and directly pilfer milk from the elephant seal 's teat. Gulls are monogamous and colonial breeders that display mate fidelity which normally lasts for the life of the pair. Divorce of mated pairs does occur, but it apparently has a social cost that persists for
1320-507: Is pelagic outside the breeding season. It takes a wide variety of mainly animal food, and will eat any suitable small prey . Sabine's gull was formally described in 1819 by the naturalist Joseph Sabine under the binomial name Larus sabini . Sabine based his description on specimens that had been collected by his brother Captain Edward Sabine who had accompanied Captain John Ross's on
1375-679: Is placed in the prehistoric genus Gaviota ; apart from this and the undescribed Early Oligocene fossil, all prehistoric species were tentatively assigned to the modern genus Larus . Among those of them that have been confirmed as gulls, Milne-Edwards' "Larus" elegans and "L." totanoides from the Late Oligocene/ Early Miocene of southeast France have since been separated in Laricola . Sabine%27s gull Sabine's gull ( / ˈ s eɪ b aɪ n / SAY-bine or / ˈ s æ b aɪ n / SAB-ine ) ( Xema sabini )
1430-464: Is questionable. Before the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus , but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic , leading to the resurrection of the genera Ichthyaetus , Chroicocephalus , Leucophaeus , Saundersilarus , and Hydrocoloeus . Some English names refer to species complexes within the group: In common usage, members of various gull species are often referred to as 'sea gulls' or 'seagulls'; however, this
1485-746: Is slight; birds from Alaska are slightly darker and perhaps bigger. Most authorities recognise no races, but a few recognise four based on size and mantle (back) colour. The Handbook of the Birds of the World recognises four subspecies. The nominate subspecies, X. s. sabini , breeds from the Canadian Arctic to Greenland . X. s. palaearctica (Stegman, 1934) breeds from Spitsbergen to the Taymyr Peninsula in Russia, and X. s. tschuktschorum (Portenko, 1939) breeds on
1540-406: Is usually treated as comprising a monotypic genus; it is placed within the genus Larus only when the genus is enlarged. The yellow-tipped black bill and notched tail are almost unique within the gulls, as they are shared only with the swallow-tailed gull of the Galapagos . On the basis of this the two species were often thought to be each other's closest relatives, a hypothesis ruled out by
1595-559: The Chukotskiy Peninsula of Russia, and X. s. woznesenskii (Portenko, 1939) is found from the Gulf of Anadyr to Alaska. Sabine's gull is a small gull, 27 to 33 cm ( 10 + 1 ⁄ 2 –13 in) in length and weighing 135 to 225 g ( 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 – 7 + 15 ⁄ 16 oz). The wings are long, thin and pointed with a span of between 81 and 87 cm (32– 34 + 1 ⁄ 2 in). The bill, which
1650-523: The Larus species. Live food often includes crustaceans , molluscs , fish and small birds. Gulls have unhinging jaws that provide the flexibility to consume large prey. Gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea, except for the kittiwakes and Sabine's gull . The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Large white-headed gulls are usually long-lived birds, with
1705-795: The Sternidae , Stercorariidae , and Rhynchopidae as subfamilies in the family Laridae, but early 21st-century research shows this to be incorrect. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2022 found the following relationships between the genera, including the most recent generic change: the placement of Saunders's gull in its own genus Saundersilarus . Creagrus – swallow-tailed gull Hydrocoloeus – little gull Rhodostethia – Ross's gull Rissa – kittiwakes (2 species) Xema – Sabine's gull Pagophila – ivory gull Saundersilarus – Saunders's gull Chroicocephalus – (10 species) Leucophaeus – (5 species) Ichthyaetus – (6 species) Larus – (24 species) This
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1760-553: The American herring gull and European herring gull in L. argentatus . The Mongolian gull , Larus mongolicus , was formerly regarded as a subspecies. The Vega gull is similar to the herring gull but is slightly darker grey above. The head of the Vega gull is heavily streaked with brown in winter, especially on the back and sides of the neck forming a collar. The legs are usually bright pink. First- and second-winter Vega gulls are darker than
1815-617: The Pacific coasts of Mexico and Central America; they can be observed on the California coast and along the Pacific coast of Baja California and Baja California Sur , Mexico. Sabine's gull is recorded often enough inland, in North America, Europe, and even Siberia , that it has been said to exhibit "cross-continental migration" in addition to migration at sea. The diet and feeding preferences of Sabine's gull varies by season and habitat. In
1870-440: The Vega gull's gray is lighter than the two similar species. Eye colour is variable but tends to be dark with a red orbital ring . The bill is yellow with a red spot except for first- and second-winter gulls where the bill can be almost entirely dark gray/black, with the gray portion shrinking until it reaches maturity. Vega gulls in the northwestern part of their breeding range are paler above. They are sometimes considered to be
1925-420: The air, on water, or on land. In the air, a number of hooded species are able to hawk insects on the wing; larger species perform this feat more rarely. Gulls on the wing also snatch items both off water and off the ground, and over water they also plunge-dive to catch prey. Again, smaller species are more manoeuvrable and better able to hover-dip fish from the air. Dipping is also common when birds are sitting on
1980-576: The birds spend significant time (typically around 45 days) feeding offshore in the Bay of Biscay . They may also stop at different island chains, such as the Azores and Canary Islands . Occasionally, individual Sabine's gulls can be seen on other coastlines, such as the coasts of the North Sea , and in North America in the northeastern United States and Eastern Seaboard , typically following autumn storms. Most of
2035-472: The black-backed gull) was heavily impacted by human fishing discards and fishing ports. Looking further at environmental drivers that structure bird habitat and distribution are human and climate impacts. Looking at waterbird distribution in wetlands, changes in salinity, water depth, water body isolation and hydroperiod altered bird community structure in both a species and guild specific way. Gulls in particular had high associations with salinity levels, being
2090-582: The chicks until they fledge . Although the chicks are fed by both parents, early on in the rearing period the male does most of the feeding and the female most of the brooding and guarding. The family Laridae was introduced (as Laridia) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. The taxonomy of gulls is confused by their widespread distribution zones of hybridisation leading to gene flow . Some have traditionally been considered ring species , but research has suggested that this assumption
2145-411: The coasts near their breeding sites. A big influence on non-breeding gull distribution are food patches. Human fisheries especially have an impact since they often provide an abundant and predictable food resource. Looking at two species of gulls dependent on human fisheries, Audouin's gull ( Ichthyaetus audouinii ) and lesser black-backed gulls ( Larus fuscus) , their breeding distributions (especially
2200-400: The exceptions being Sabine's gull and swallow-tailed gulls , which have forked tails, and Ross's gull , which has a wedge-shaped tail. Gulls have moderately long legs, especially when compared to the similar terns, with fully webbed feet. The bill is generally heavy and slightly hooked, with the larger species having stouter bills than the smaller species. The bill colour is often yellow with
2255-443: The family Laridae in the suborder Lari . They are most closely related to terns and skimmers , distantly related to auks , and even more distantly related to waders . Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus , but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic , leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mews ; this still exists in certain regional English dialects and
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2310-422: The head varies by breeding season; in nonbreeding dark-hooded gulls, the hood is lost, sometimes leaving a single spot behind the eye, and in white-headed gulls, nonbreeding heads may have streaking. The gulls have a worldwide cosmopolitan distribution . They breed on every continent, including the margins of Antarctica , and are found in the high Arctic as well. They are less common on tropical islands, although
2365-554: The longest migration of any gull. The Svalbard , Greenland and eastern Canadian populations of Sabine's gull usually cross the Atlantic Ocean by way of the westernmost coasts of Europe ( Ireland , western Great Britain , northwest Spain , Portugal ) and northwest Africa ( Morocco ) to winter off southwestern Africa in the cold waters of the Benguela Current off Namibia and South Africa . During their flight south,
2420-703: The main environmental predictor for waterbird assemblage. Charadriiform birds drink salt water, as well as fresh water, as they possess exocrine glands located in supraorbital grooves of the skull by which salt can be excreted through the nostrils to assist the kidneys in maintaining electrolyte balance. Gulls are highly adaptable feeders that opportunistically take a wide range of prey. The food taken by gulls includes fish and marine and freshwater invertebrates, both alive and already dead; terrestrial arthropods and invertebrates such as insects and earthworms; rodents, eggs, carrion, offal , reptiles, amphibians, seeds, fruit, human refuse, and even other birds. No gull species
2475-463: The nest dry, particularly species that nest in tidal marshes . Both sexes gather nesting material and build the nest, but the division of labour is not always exactly equal. In coastal towns, many gulls nest on rooftops and can be observed by nearby human residents. Clutch size is typically three eggs, although some of the smaller gulls only lay two, and the swallow-tailed gull produces a single egg. Birds synchronise their laying within colonies, with
2530-677: The nesting site from others of their species. This area can be as large as a 5-metre radius around the nest in the herring gull to just a tiny area of cliff ledge in the kittiwakes . Most gulls breed once a year and have predictable breeding seasons lasting for three to five months. Gulls begin to assemble around the colony for a few weeks prior to occupying it. Existing pairs re-establish their pair-bonds , and unpaired birds begin courting. Pairs then move back into their territories, and new males establish new territories and attempt to court females. Gulls defend their territories from rivals of both sexes using calls and aerial attacks. Nest building
2585-570: The northwest coast of Spain revealed a shift from a sardine to crustacean-based diet. This shift was linked to higher fishing efficiency and thus overall fish stock depletion. Lastly, closure of nearby open-air landfills limited food availability for the gulls, furthering creating a stress on their shift in diet. Between the years of 1974–1994, yellow-legged gull populations in Berlenga Island, Portugal, increased from 2600 to 44,698 individuals. Analyzing both adult and chick remains, researchers found
2640-404: The similar Mongolian gull, notably on the crown of the head where Mongolian gulls even in first- and second-winter are a bit paler. Almost the full body of first- and second-winter Vega gulls displays darker brown flecks and streaks. Adult Vega gulls in winter can often be mistaken for the very similar-looking slaty-backed gull ( L . schistisagus) and the western gull ( L. occidentalis ), but
2695-399: The smaller gulls tend to be more manoeuvrable while walking. The walking gait of gulls includes a slight side to side motion, something that can be exaggerated in breeding displays. In the air, they are able to hover and they are also able to take off quickly with little space. The general pattern of plumage in adult gulls is a white body with a darker mantle; the extent to which the mantle
2750-551: The spring prior to the spring migration, and have a partial moult in the autumn after returning to the wintering area, a reversal of the usual pattern for gulls. They have a very high-pitched and squeaking call. Sabine's gulls breed in the Arctic , with a near- circumpolar distribution across northernmost North America and Eurasia. They migrate south to the Southern Hemisphere in autumn, covering up to 32,000–39,000 km per year,
2805-462: The surface when hunting. Examples of such associations include four species of gulls feeding around plumes of mud brought to the surface by feeding grey whales , and also between orcas (largest dolphin species) and kelp gulls (and other seabirds). Looking at the effect of humans on gull diet, overfishing of target prey such as sardines have caused a shift in diet and behaviour. Analysis of yellow-legged gull's ( Larus michahellis ) pellets off
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#17328696008592860-448: The water, and gulls may swim in tight circles or foot paddle to bring marine invertebrates up to the surface. Food is also obtained by searching the ground, often on the shore among sand, mud or rocks. Larger gulls tend to do more feeding in this way. In shallow water gulls may also engage in foot paddling. One method of obtaining prey involves dropping heavy shells of clams and mussels onto hard surfaces. Gulls may fly some distance to find
2915-654: The western North American and Siberian populations winters at sea in the southeast Pacific Ocean , heading to islets and outcrops off of the South American west coast from the Galápagos Islands to northern Chile , where a consistent food supply is nourished by the cold waters of the Humboldt Current . Along their migration route, Sabine's gulls make stops along the United States West Coast , and
2970-444: The whale as it surfaces and pecking out pieces of flesh. Gulls range in size from the little gull , at 120 grams ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 4 ounces) and 29 centimetres ( 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches), to the great black-backed gull , at 1.75 kg (3 lb 14 oz) and 76 cm (30 in). They are generally uniform in shape, with heavy bodies, long wing, and moderately long necks. The tails of all but three species are rounded;
3025-456: The winter, but the extent to which they migrate varies by species. Some migrate long distances, notably Sabine's gull , which migrates from the Arctic coasts to winter off the west coasts of South America and southern Africa, and Franklin's gull , which migrates from Canada to wintering grounds off the west coast of South America. Other species move much shorter distances and may simply disperse along
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