Seagull

Seagulls, also known as gulls and historically as mews, are seabirds found in every country, in every region, all over Magnula. They are typically tiny to small in size and usually grey or white in colouration. They typically have harsh wailing calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet. Most seagulls are opportunist carnivores which will either take live food (including crustaceans, molluscs, and small fish) or scavenge opportunistically. Seagulls will eat practically anything if they have to, including food scraps from Magnula's intelligent races and even animal faeces. They have unhinged jaws which allow them to consume larger prey. Seagulls are typically a coastal species but will venture far out to sea and even inland.
Seagulls nest in large, dense, noisy colonies. They lay 2 or 3 eggs in their nests. The young are mature upon birth, though it takes time to develop their full plumage, and are fully mobile. Seagulls are known to be resourceful and intelligent, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a developed social structure - including but not limited to mobbing behaviour against predators and perceived threats. Some species have even exhibited tool-use. Seagulls have learned to coexist with Magnula's intelligent races and thrive in urban environments. However, they also have a reputation as an incredibly annoying species with a habit for stealing food. Other seagulls have been seen landing on the backs of live whales, where they use their beaks to peck out small pieces of flesh.
== Description ==
Seagulls range in size, from tiny species to medium species. They are generally the same in shape, with heavy bodies, long wings, and moderately long necks. The tails of almost all species are rounded. Seagulls have fairly long legs and fully webbed feet. The bill is generally heavy and slightly hooked and often of a yellow colouration. Depending on the species, the bill may also have a red or black spot.
Seagulls are generalist feeders and not very picky at all. Their biology allows for equal adeptness in swimming, flying, and walking. When flying, they are able to hover and can take off quickly with very little space.
The general plumage in adult seagulls is a white body with a darker mantle, which varies in colour from grey to black. There are a few species that deviate from this norm though. The wingtips of most species are black and sometimes has white patterns. The head of a seagull might have a black hood or be purely white.
== Distribution and Habitat ==
Seagulls can be found everywhere in Magnula, in every nation and region. They breed wherever they can, which is most places. Most species live in coastal colonies, with a preference for islands and other isolated locations. Outside of this, however, there is considerable variety and different species may breed and feed in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial habitats.
Most seagulls species are migratory, but the specifics and extent of their migration varies by species. Some migrate across great distances from summer to winter grounds. Others, though, might move much shorter distances and may simply disperse along the nearest coastline near their breeding sites.
A big influence of seagull distribution are food patches. Fisheries and similar establishments especially have an impact since they provide the birds with abundant and reliable food sources. Other environmental factors play a role as well, such as water depth and isolation.
== Behaviour ==
=== Diet and Feeding ===
Seagulls are highly adaptable feeders that opportunistically consume a wide range of prey. This includes fish and marine invertebrates, insects, rodents, eggs, seeds, and even other birds. Seagulls will infamously eat practically anything, despite primarily being carnivores. They also possess the ability to drink salt water.
In addition to taking a wide range of prey, seagulls display great variety in how they obtain said prey. Prey can be obtained in the air, on water, or on land. In the air, many species are able to hunt insects while in flight and can similarly snatch items off of the ground and water surface as well. On water, plunge-diving and dipping are both common techniques. On the land, searching the ground for food is the norm, although some species may try foot padding in shallow water.
=== Breeding ===
Seagulls are monogamous breeders that will form life-long pairs. Although 'divorces' are known to occur, they seem to have a social cost for both birds involved. Seagulls also display high levels of site fidelity, returning to the same colony after breeding there once and and even usually breeding in the same spot each season. Colonies can vary in size from just a few pairs to over a hundred thousand pairs. Within colonies, pairs are territorial, defending an area of varying size around the nesting site from others of their species.
Most seagulls breed once a year and have predictable breeding seasons. Seagulls begin to assemble around the colony, then move back into their territories (or establish new ones in the case of younger males). Existing pairs re-establish bonds while unpaired birds form new bonds. Nest building is a vital part of pair-bonding. Seagull nests are usually mats of plant matter with a central cup. Nests are usually built on the ground but a few species nest on cliffs, trees, rooftops, and other high places. Both birds in a pair will contribute to this process.
Clutch size is typically three eggs, although this is not always the case. Birds within a colony will synchronise their laying. The eggs of seagulls are usually dark tan to brown or dark olive. Both sexes will incubate the eggs in shifts. Interestingly, seagulls are known to exhibit alloparental care and will help raise young that are not necessarily their own. Incubation lasts between 22 and 26 days after laying the first egg. Young chicks are brooded by their parents for about one or two weeks, and often at least one parent remains until the chicks become capable of flight. Both parents feed the chicks, although this is usually more the male's job more than the female's.
== Combat ==
Though they are considered a major annoyance and perhaps even a pest animal for some, seagulls are not an inherently aggressive species. That being said, there are circumstances under which a seagull or seagulls may attack someone. The most entertaining of these is their want of food at the expense of a particular individual. Seagulls will attack to scare off a person if they possess food the seagull/s decides it wants. They are also very territorial and protective of their nesting sites, with trespassers finding a whole colony of angry seagulls.
In a fight, a seagull will typically rely on its manoeuvrability and flight rather than direct combat. They have few offensive options outside of their beaks, which do very little damage on their own. However, seagulls do possess the ability to call their colony to fight. This technique, formally known as mobbing, is seen in many social species but seagulls are one of the better examples of using this tactic in a combat situation. With enough numbers, a colony of angry seagulls can be a bigger threat than some, naïve individuals might expect.
== Variants ==
There are approximately 54 seagull species currently known to modern zoologists.
=== Laughing Seagull ===
The laughing seagull is an average-sized species found in south Allmenaria. Though it is most commonly found in the Sunken Isles, it can also be found along the coastline of Tekunatin. This particular species earns it's namesake from it's distinctive call, which sounds very similar to laughter. Like many seagull species, it is an opportunistic scavenger and omnivore - although it has carnivorous preferences.
Laughing seagulls are commonly found in the regions of the Sunken Isles and Tekunatin - though more commonly in the former. However, it is an occasional vagrant to a couple of regions in Morrion, most notably The Impireacht and Raiontaine. This migration seems to be more common during breeding season. Laughing seagulls breed in coastal marshes and ponds in large colonies. Their nests, normally made from grasses, are constructed on the ground and will usually house about 3 or 4 greenish eggs, that take around 3 weeks to hatch.
This species is about 14-16 inches long, so average for a seagull. The adult's body is white apart from the dark grey back and wings and the distinctive black head. The beak is long and red. A laughing seagull's black hood is mostly lost during the winter months, replaced with a patchy white and grey hood instead. Laughing seagulls take about 3 years to fully mature and achieve adult plumage.