Herring Gull

The American Herring Gull, *Larus smithsonianus*, is a large gull which breeds in North America. It is often treated as a subspecies of the European Herring Gull(*L. argentatus*) but is now regarded as a separate species by some authorities. Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Immature birds are gray-brown and are darker and more uniform than European Herring Gulls with a dark tail. It occurs in a variety of habitats including coasts, lakes, rivers and garbage dumps. Its broad diet includes invertebrates, fish and many other items. It usually nests near water, laying around three eggs in a scrape on the ground.

## Description

It is a heavily built large gull with a long powerful bill, full chest and sloping forehead. Males are 60–66 cm (24–26 in) long and weigh 1,050–1,650 g (2.31–3.64 lb). Females are 53–62 cm (21–24 in) long and weigh 600–900 g (1.3–2.0 lb). The wingspan is 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 41.2 to 46.8 cm (16.2 to 18.4 in), the bill is 4.4 to 6.2 cm (1.7 to 2.4 in) and the tarsus is 5.5 to 7.6 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in).

Breeding adults have a white head, rump, tail, and underparts and a pale gray back and upperwings. The wingtips are black with white spots known as "mirrors" and the rear edge of the wing is white. The underwing is grayish with dark tips to the outer primary feathers. The legs and feet are normally pink but can have a bluish tinge, or occasionally be yellow. The bill is yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible. The eye is bright, pale to medium yellow, with a bare yellow or orange ring around it. In winter, the head and neck are streaked with brown.

Young birds take four years to reach fully adult plumage. During this time they go through several plumage stages and can be very variable in appearance. First-winter birds are gray-brown with a dark tail, a brown rump with dark bars, dark outer primaries and pale inner primaries, dark eyes, and a dark bill, which usually develops a paler base through the winter. The head is often paler than the body. Second-winter birds typically have a pale eye, pale bill with black tip, pale head and begin to show gray feathers on the back. Third-winter birds are closer to adults but still have some black on the bill and brown on the body and wings and have a black band on the tail.

**Voice**

It has no song but has a variety of cries and calls. The "long call" is a series of notes during which the head is dipped then raised. The "choking call" is produced during courtship displays or territorial disputes. Juvenile birds emit high-pitched plaintive cries to elicit feeding behavior from a parent and may also emit a clicking distress call when a parent suddenly flies off.

**Similar Species**

Adult European herring gulls are very similar to American herring gulls but those of the subspecies *L. a. argenteus* are smaller than many American birds[7] while those of the northern subspecies *L. a. argentatus* are typically darker gray above. European birds lack the long gray tongues on the 6th, 7th, and 8th primaries and solid black markings on the 5th and 6th primaries that are shown by American Herring Gulls. First-winter European birds have more checkered upperparts, more streaked underparts, and a paler rump and base to the tail.

## Distribution and Habitat

The American herring gull is a large gull, 22-26 inches in length with a wingspan of 54-57 inches. It has a white head, throat, breast and belly. It has a gray back and gray wings with black tips. It has pale pink legs and feet, yellow eyes, and a slightly hooked yellow bill with a red spot on the end. Males and females look alike. The Herring gull is found on islands, beaches, mudflats, fields, meadows, golf courses, beside lakes and rivers, in the grassy areas of airports, and in garbage dumps.

## Diet

Although the American herring gull is named for the herring, it eats more than just fish! It is an omnivore and there isn't much it won't eat including shellfish, small mammals, insects, birds, eggs, carrion, and garbage. It dives into the water for food or takes it from the surface of the water. It also captures prey on land. It sometimes drops shellfish, clams, and mussels on rocks to break them open. It also steals food from other birds.

## Life Cycle

The American herring gull nests in colonies in a variety of habitats including islands, cliffs, and beaches. The nest site is always near water. It sometimes even builds its nest on the window ledges or roofs of buildings! The nest is made in a scrape in the sand or dirt and is lined with grass, moss, pieces of plastic and other trash, and feathers. The female lays 1-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated for 26-28 days by both parents. The chicks fledge when they are 42-45 days old.

## Behavior

The American herring gull is one species of bird that has adapted very well to human activity. It scavenges for food around dumpsters, garbage dumps, restaurant parking lots, and fishing harbors.

## Gallery

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