 |
|
Taxonomic Index
(with search function)Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Herring Gull
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Gaelic: Glas-fhaoileag
Photographs © Kim Park
Uig - Isle of Lewis - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
20th June, 2005
- Herring Gull
- Larus argentatus argentatus
- Gaelic: Glas-fhaoileag
- WI: Larus argentatus argentatus is a common resident or migrant breeder (1000 -10,000 breeding pairs)
Like some of the other gulls, an adult Herring Gull has a bright red spot on the lower part of it's yellow bill. A chicks peck at this spot when they want to be fed, and this stimulates the parent to regurgitate what it last ate, providing food for the chick.
Herring Gull records in the Western Isles
Larus argentatus argentatus is a common resident or migrant breeder (1000 -10,000 breeding pairs)
Source: Outer Hebrides Bird Report (2001)We also get the Mediterranean version of the Herring Gull which has yellow instead of pinkish legs.
It is called the Kumlien's Gull, (Larus glaucoides kumlieni). In 800 Herring Gulls 40 typically might show the yellowish legs and other features of the Kumlien's Gull.In winter the Kumlien's Gull has less streaking on the head than the Herring Gull and can be spotted within a flock. Recently it has been decided that it is a separate species to the Herring Gull.
On the chart below the darker the shade of blue the more abundant the Herring Gull is during a month or the more likely you are to see it.
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
(Source: Outer Hebrides Birds Checklist)
Visit Kim's web site of her photography of the Western Isles
www.bigbigskies.co.uk
Sources of information for the bird sightings section
Home • Contact Webmaster • Advertising
Copyright © 2006 Western Isles Netspace. User Agreement and Privacy policy