Silver Seagull: Description, Reproduction and Interesting Facts

The silver gull is considered to be one of the most numerous and recognizable representatives of the order of the Charadriiformes. The range of its habitat is so wide that most ornithologists are sure of the existence of not one but several closely related species.

Area of distribution

The silvery gull gravitates toward the cold regions. It inhabits the Northern Hemisphere. During the winter months, these birds migrate to Florida, southern China, Japan and the Gulf Coast. For nesting, they chose Britain, Scandinavia and Iceland. Also they can be seen on the islands of the Arctic Ocean, in Canada, in Alaska and on the eastern shores of the USA.

Since the silver gull is highly dependent on aquatic food, it also settles in coastal areas. She lives in the mountains, cliffs, rocks, and sometimes in marshland. This bird has perfectly adapted to co-existence with people, therefore it often settles on the roofs of houses.

Short description

A silver gull is a large bird. The weight of an adult can reach one and a half kilograms. Body length on the average is about 55-65 centimeters. The head, neck and trunk of the bird are covered with white feathers. The wings and back are light gray in color. On the head of a gull there is a beak, compressed at the sides and curved at the end. It itself is yellow, but under it a red spot is clearly visible.

Around the eyes, the iris of which is painted in a gray hue, there are narrow rings of yellow skin. It is interesting that a silvery gull acquires a bright plumage only in the fourth year of life. Up to this point the youngsters have a motley color, in which brown and gray tones prevail. Feathers begin to lighten after the bird reaches the age of two. The head and iris of young individuals are colored brown.

Features of reproduction and life expectancy

In the wild, the European silver gull lives on average 50 years. It is considered a highly organized bird. Complex relationships between representatives of this species are based on a kind of hierarchy. The dominant position is occupied by males. The weaker sex dominates only in matters concerning the choice of a location for the arrangement of the future nest.

These birds are monogamous. Except in rare cases, they create a couple of times and for life. Sexually mature individuals are those who have reached the age of five. To the nesting site, they begin to fly in April-May, just after the water is free of ice.

For the nesting period, these birds create whole colonies. Silver gull (larus argentatus) arranges lined with feathers or wool nests on cliffs, rocky shores and in dense vegetative thickets. In the construction take part and the female and male. In this case, as a building material, they use grass, tree branches, moss and dry algae. The distance between neighboring nests is about five meters.

As a rule, the female lays 2-4 eggs of a greenish-brown or olive shade with large dark spots, in which both parents participate in hatching. And during the change of partners sitting in the nest, the birds carefully and carefully turn the eggs.

At the end of the four-week incubation period, chicks appear. Their small bodies are covered in gray fluff with distinctly appearing dark spots. After two days, the kids can already get up on their own. In a couple of days they begin to leave the parent's nest, not moving for significant distances. In case of threat, the chicks hide, becoming virtually indistinguishable on the surrounding background. They start flying not earlier than they will be a month and a half. Parents alternately feed their offspring, regurgitating their feed. The basis of the diet of growing babies is fish.

What do these birds eat?

It should be noted that the silver gull is omnivorous. It can often be seen not far from sea-going vessels and garbage dumps. Sometimes she even steals eggs and cubs of other birds.

Representatives of this species catch larvae, insects, lizards and small rodents. They can also eat berries, fruits, nuts, tubers and corn. Do not disdain to select the prey from smaller and weaker relatives. They also catch sea worms, crustaceans and fish.

Features of coexistence with man

Just note that the silver gull is not used to stand on ceremony with people. This bird actively populates modern megacities and arranges nests on the roofs of multi-storey buildings. Often it attacks those who try to harm their offspring. Also, many cases have been known, when the insolent birds used to take food out of the hands of passers-by on the street.

However, over the past two decades, there has been a tendency to reduce the number of representatives of this species. In Europe, the gull populations decreased by almost half. Scientists explain this by the influence of environmental factors and the depletion of fish stocks in coastal regions.

Activity, social behavior and vocalization

In spite of this, the silver gulls lead a daily life, in certain situations they show around-the-clock activity. This particularly applies to birds inhabiting high latitudes in the conditions of the polar day.

Representatives of this species are able to produce a wide range of characteristic sounds. They can croak, croak, howl, and even mew. However, most often they can hear loud cries.

Seagulls are colonial birds. Their communities can number more than one hundred pairs. Sometimes there are smaller or mixed colonies. Each pair has its own carefully guarded site. If one of them is attacked by an external enemy, then the entire colony unites to protect its relatives. However, in peacetime, neighboring couples can conflict with each other and even attack each other.

It is not easy to form a relationship within the pair. Especially in the mating season. At this time the male ritually feeds his partner. And the female sits down near the nest and begins to squeak thinly, begging for food from the male. After the laying of eggs there is a gradual fading of a peculiar marital behavior, and soon it disappears altogether.

Interesting Facts

The gull is silvery, or the northern club, adheres to a strict hierarchy. The leader is always the male, and it is he who makes the choice for the female, which dominates everything connected with the construction of the nest. Virtually all members of this family do not like to get their own food by their own labor, preferring to take it away from others.