The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is one of the best-known of all gulls along the shores of Western Europe, it was once abundant. While the numbers of these birds appear to have been harmed in recent years, possibly by fish population declines and competition, they have proved able to survive in human-adapted areas and can often be seen in towns acting as scavengers.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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SeabirdSeabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, b...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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Partial MigrantPartial migration is when within a migratory species or even within a single population, some individuals migrate while others do not.
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starts withAdult Herring gulls in breeding plumage have a light grey back and upper wings and white head and underparts. The wingtips are black with white spots known as "mirrors". The bill is yellow with a red spot and a ring of bare yellow skin is seen around the pale eye. The legs are normally pink at all ages, but can be yellowish, particularly in the Baltic population, which was formerly regarded as a separate subspecies "L. a. omissus". Non-breeding adults have brown streaks on their heads and necks. Male and female plumage are identical at all stages of development, but adult males are often larger. Juvenile and first-winter birds are mainly brown with darker streaks and have dark bills and eyes. Second-winter birds have a whiter head and underparts with less streaking and the back is grey. Third-winter individuals are similar to adults, but retain some of the features of immature birds such as brown feathers in the wings and dark markings on the bill. The European herring gull attains adult plumage and reaches sexual maturity at an average age of four years.
European herring gulls breed across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic states. Some European herring gulls, especially those residents in colder areas, migrate further south in winter, but many are permanent residents, e.g. in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. These birds inhabit coastal areas, lakeshores, reservoirs, intertidal pools, mudflats, and newly plowed fields. They can also be found in human-adapted areas and can often be seen in towns.
European herring gulls are very social and aggressive birds. The locks have a loose pecking order, based on size, aggressiveness, and physical strength. Adult males are usually dominant over females and juveniles in feeding and boundary disputes, while adult females are typically dominant when selecting their nesting sites. European herring gulls feed by day, seeking suitable small prey in fields, on the coast, or in urban areas, or robbing plovers or lapwings of their catches. They may also dive from the surface of the water or engage in plunge diving in the pursuit of aquatic prey, though they are typically unable to reach depths greater than 1-2 m (3.3-6.6 ft) due to their natural buoyancy. European herring gulls do not need swimming but seem to enjoy all kinds of waters, especially on hot summer days. Unlike many flocking birds, they do not engage in social grooming and keep physical contact between individuals to a minimum. The loud, laughing call of these gulls is well known in the Northern Hemisphere and is often seen as a symbol of the seaside in countries such as the United Kingdom. The most distinct and best-known call produced by European herring gulls is the raucous territorial 'long call', used to signal boundaries to other birds. These birds also have a yelping alarm call and a low, barking anxiety call. The chicks and fledglings emit a distinctive, repetitive, high-pitched 'peep', accompanied by a head-flicking gesture when begging for food from or calling to their parents.
European herring gulls are omnivores and opportunists and scavenge from garbage dumps, landfill sites, and sewage outflows. They eat fish, crustaceans, chips, and dead animals, as well as some plants. They also steal the eggs and young of other birds. Vegetable matter includes roots, tubers, seeds, grains, nuts, and fruit.
European herring gulls are monogamous and form pairs that may remain together for life. They breed in big colonies. Females usually lay 2-4 eggs on the ground or cliff ledges and defend them vigorously. The eggs are usually olive-brown in color with dark speckles or blotches. They are incubated by both parents for 28-30 days. The chicks hatch with their eyes open, covered with fluffy down, and they are able to walk around within hours. The young use their beaks to peck at the red spot on the beaks of adults to indicate hunger and parents then typically disgorge food for their offspring. The young birds are able to fly 35-40 days after hatching and fledge at 5 or 6 weeks of age. Chicks are generally fed by their parents until they are 11-12 weeks old, but the feeding may continue for more than 6 months of age if the young gulls continue to beg. The male feeds the chick more often than the female before fledging, with the female more often feeding after fledging. European herring gulls attain adult plumage and reach reproductive maturity at an average age of 4 years.
European herring gulls are not considered threatened at present, however, their numbers appear to have been harmed in recent years, possibly by fish population declines and competition. They also suffer from collisions with wind turbines, oil pollution, and pesticide contamination.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the European herring gull is 2,060,000-2,430,000 individuals which include 1,370,000-1,620,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
European herring gulls are not always appreciated by mankind due to their droppings and screaming, but they must be regarded as a "natural cleaner", and just as with crows, they help by keeping rats away from the surface in the urban environment, not by killing rats, but by eating the potential rat food before the rats get the chance. Unlike real scavengers, herring gulls also eat most other things than meat, like wasted food of all kinds.
