Bird Sightings: Ring-billed Gull

thewesternisles.co.uk

Wildlife Forum NEW Hebrides bird sightings Bird pictures A - Z Bird pictures: thumbnails Bird ringing Seal and dolphin rescue Difference dolphin porpoise Seal pups Bottlenose dolphin A dolphin rescue BDMLR

Overview Flowering now A - Z wildflowers White wildflowers Yellow wildflowers Pink wildflowers Purple - blue flowers Orchid notes

Stornoway Arch Project August garden

Websites directory Featured sites: Hebridean Baskets Artist Wille Fulton Stornoway Arch Project

Bird Sightings : Hebrides : Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull (With common gull)

Larus delawarensis

Photography © Brian Rabbitts
Balranald Nature Reserve - North Uist - Outer Hebrides (Western Isles)
March 19th, 2007

Summer adult ring-billed gull with a summer adult common gull, a useful comparison.

Our ring-billed gull photographs:

Ring-billed gull
and common gull
Ring-billed gull
Summer adult

"Sparrowhawk near Luirbost garage ths morning, headed off toward Achmore....I see that Iceland has a ring-billed gull, do we get them here? are they easy to recognise? Thanks"

John C

We get a few ring-billed gulls each year. Up to November 26th 2007 sightings were at Loch Barvas, Lewis in March and Balranald, North Uist in April.

Most sightings are in Jan - July. The most recent November ones that I could find were in 2005 in Peninerine South Uist, and Loch Barvas, Lewis (there may be other records)

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Scarce UK visitor, 74 annual records BTO
(Most common gull in North America)

Breeds: North America, Canada (Colonies nest on ground by rivers, lakes & coast. Bird returns to same nest site each year)

Winters: South to North America & the Great Lakes (wanderer to UK & West Europe)

Habitat: Seacoasts, lakes, rivers, fields

Diet: Forages, scavenges, steals. Omnivorous: Fish, insects, earthworms, small mammals, grain, eggs & rodents

Slightly larger than common gull. White head, neck & below. Shortish, yellow bill has dark ring. Back & wings silver-grey. Yellow legs and eyes. Different immature plumage classes for first three years.

Live to 15yrs

Research shows that at only two days old ring-billed gulls preferred the bearings of the direction for their fall migration!

Hunted almost to extinction in the early 1900's. It's feathers were used in hat-making. The population has recovered but not achieved previous levels.

Other local bird photographs

back to page top

Home • Contact Webmaster • Advertising