Birds Posters
Seagulls
Gulls (often informally called seagulls) are birds in the family Laridae.
They are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders.
Until recently, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera.
Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings.
They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls, stout, longish bills, and webbed feet.
Gull species range in size from the Little Gull, at 120 g (4.2 oz) and 29 cm (11.5 inches), to the Great Black backed Gull, at 1.75 kg (3.8 lbs) and 76 cm (30 inches).
The Ring billed Gullis sometimescalled the "fast food gull" because it often hangs around fast food restaurants scavenging for food.
In the late 19th century, this bird was hunted for its plumage. Its population has since rebounded and it is probably the most common gull in North America.
Young gulls tested at only two days of age showed a preference for magnetic bearings that would take them in the appropriate direction for their fall migration.
Bonaparte's gulls are named after a nephew of Napoleon, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who was a leading ornithologist in the 1800's in America and Europe.
The scientific name philadelphia was given in 1815 by the describer of the species, George Ord of Philadelphia, presumably because he collected his specimen there.
The smallest gull seen over most of North America, it is also the only gull that regularly nests in trees.
The Glaucous winged Gull has been known to kill and eat rabbits and pigeons, as well as Glaucous winged Gull chicks.
They nest on roofs of buildings in some areas. They prefer to nest on flat roofs, but will nest on peaked roofs in flat areas near chimneys or other structures.
The Franklin's Gull is unique among gulls in having two complete molts each year rather than one.
The gulls need new, strong feathers in order to meet the demands of their 5000 mile migrations.
Their floating nest gradually sinks as the material below the water surface decays, and it requires continual maintenance.
Both parents add new nest material daily until one or two weeks before departing the colony.
Older chicks also add nest material from the immediate vicinity of the nest.
This bird was named after the Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin and was originally named Franklin Rosy Gull for its rosy colored breast and belly.
Early settlers named it the Prairie Dove.
The Ivory Gull casts up pellets of indigestible matter from its food, such as bones and fur.
Pellet casting is most frequent where lemmings are abundant and are the major prey.
The Yellow legged Gull was first described in 1840 by Friedrich Naumann, a German scientist and editor.
Kelp Gull is the only gull of the Southern Ocean.
Recent populations of Kelp gulls have increased in some locations perhaps due to human subsidies: trawler fish discards, scraps from fish processing plants, and coastal rubbish piles.
The species name comes from the Dominican order of friars who wore black and white habits.