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50-522: Larus argentatus michahellis Naumann, 1840 Larus cachinnans michahellis Naumann, 1840 Larus cachinnans atlantis Larus cachinnans lusitanius The yellow-legged gull ( Larus michahellis ) is a large gull found in Europe , the Middle East and North Africa , which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either
100-439: A common gull and the largest males being roughly the size of a great black-backed gull . They range in length from 52 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in total length, from 120 to 155 cm (47 to 61 in) in wingspan and from 550 to 1,600 g (1.21 to 3.53 lb) in weight. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40.8 to 47.2 cm (16.1 to 18.6 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6 cm (1.8 to 2.4 in) and
150-450: A behaviour seen in other animal species, such as elephants, wolves, and the fathead minnow . Lasting between 22 and 26 days, incubation begins after the first egg is laid but is not continuous until after the second egg is laid, meaning that the first two chicks hatch at about the same time, and the third some time later. Young chicks are brooded by their parents for about one or two weeks, and often at least one parent stays behind to guard
200-495: A few species do live on islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia . Many species breed in coastal colonies, with a preference for islands, and one species, the grey gull , breeds in the interior of dry deserts far from water. Considerable variety exists in the family and species may breed and feed in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial habitats. Most gull species are migratory , with birds moving to warmer habitats during
250-498: A higher level of synchronisation in larger colonies. The eggs of gulls are usually dark tan to brown or dark olive with dark splotches and scrawl markings, and they are well camouflaged. Both sexes incubate the eggs; incubation bouts last between one and four hours during the day, and one parent incubates through the night. Research on various bird species, including gulls, suggests that females form pair bonds with other females to obtain alloparental care for their dependent offspring,
300-521: A highly developed social structure. For example, many gull colonies display mobbing behaviour, attacking and harassing predators and other intruders. Certain species, such as the herring gull, have exhibited tool-use behaviour, for example using pieces of bread as bait with which to catch goldfish . Many species of gulls have learned to coexist successfully with humans and thrive in human habitats. Others rely on kleptoparasitism to get their food. Gulls have been observed preying on live whales, landing on
350-404: A maximum age of 49 years recorded for the herring gull . Gulls nest in large, densely packed, noisy colonies. They lay two or three speckled eggs in nests composed of vegetation. The young are precocial , born with dark mottled down and mobile upon hatching. Gulls are resourceful, inquisitive, and intelligent, the larger species in particular, demonstrating complex methods of communication and
400-534: A mixture of both natural prey and human refuse. The gulls relied substantially on the Henslow's swimming crab ( Polybius henslowii ). Yet, in times when local prey availability is low, the gulls shift to human-related food. These temporal shifts from a marine to terrestrial prey highlight the resilience adult gulls have and their ability to keep chick condition consistent. Human disturbance has also shown to have an effect on gull breeding, in which hatching failure
450-569: A number of years after the break-up. Gulls also display high levels of site fidelity , returning to the same colony after breeding there once and even usually breeding at the same location within that colony. Gull colonies can vary from just a few pairs to over a hundred thousand pairs, and may be exclusive to that gull species or shared with other seabird species. A few species nest singly, and single pairs of band-tailed gulls may breed in colonies of other bird species. Within colonies, gull pairs are territorial , defending an area of varying size around
500-410: A red spot for the larger white-headed species and red, dark red or black in the smaller species. Gulls are a generalist species that can thrive in various environments and survive on a widely varied diet. They are the least specialised of all the seabirds, and their morphology allows for equal adeptness in swimming, flying, and walking. They are more adept walking on land than most other seabirds, and
550-560: A suitable surface on which to drop shells, and apparently a learned component to the task exists, as older birds are more successful than younger ones. While overall feeding success is a function of age, the diversity in both prey and feeding methods is not. The time taken to learn foraging skills may explain the delayed maturation in gulls. Gulls have only a limited ability to dive below the water to feed on deeper prey. To obtain prey from deeper down, many species of gulls feed in association with other animals, where marine hunters drive prey to
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#1732772888524600-427: Is a layperson's term and is not used by most ornithologists and biologists. The name is used informally to refer to a common local species (or all gulls in general) and has no fixed taxonomic meaning. In common usage, gull-like seabirds that are not technically gulls (e.g. albatrosses , fulmars , terns , and skuas ) may also be referred to as 'seagulls' by the layperson. The American Ornithologists' Union combines
650-516: Is a list of the 54 gull species , presented in taxonomic sequence . The Laridae are known from not-yet-published fossil evidence since the Early Oligocene , some 30–33 million years ago. Three gull-like species were described by Alphonse Milne-Edwards from the early Miocene of Saint-Gérand-le-Puy, France. A fossil gull from the Middle to Late Miocene of Cherry County, Nebraska , US,
700-468: Is a single-prey specialist, and no gull species forages using only a single method. The type of food depends on circumstances, and terrestrial prey such as seeds, fruit, and earthworms are more common during the breeding season while marine prey is more common in the nonbreeding season when birds spend more time on large bodies of water. In addition to taking a wide range of prey, gulls display great versatility in how they obtain prey. Prey can be obtained in
750-419: Is a sometimes sparse mound of vegetation built on the ground or on cliff ledges. In some places, such as Gibraltar , Galicia and Portugal , they have started nesting on buildings, inside cities and even on trees. The eggs are incubated for 27–31 days and the young birds fledge after 35–40 days. Gull 11, see below Gulls , or colloquially seagulls , are seabirds of the family Laridae in
800-401: Is an important part of the pair-bonding process. Most gull nests are mats of herbaceous matter with a central nest cup. Nests are usually built on the ground, but a few species establish their nests on cliffs (the usual preference for kittiwakes), and some choose to nest in trees and high places (e.g. Bonaparte's gulls ). Species that nest in marshes need to construct a nesting platform to keep
850-740: Is closer to the herring gull and the lesser black-backed gull L. fuscus , rather than being each other's closest relatives. There are two subspecies of the yellow-legged gull: There is also the subspecies L. m. omissus , first described in 1928 by the Russian ornithologist Theodor Pleske . The breeding range is centred on the Mediterranean Sea . In North Africa, it is common in Morocco , Algeria and Tunisia and increasing in places. Recent breeding has occurred in Libya and Egypt . In
900-485: Is cognate with German Möwe , Danish måge , Swedish mås , Dutch meeuw , Norwegian måke/måse , and French mouette . Typically medium to large in size, gulls are usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They normally have harsh wailing or squawking calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet. Most gulls are ground-nesting piscivores or carnivores which take live food or scavenge opportunistically, particularly
950-423: Is darker varies from pale grey to black. A few species vary in this, the ivory gull is entirely white, and some like the lava gull and Heermann's gull have partly or entirely grey bodies. The wingtips of most species are black, which improves their resistance to wear and tear, usually with a diagnostic pattern of white markings. The head of a gull may be covered by a dark hood or be entirely white. The plumage of
1000-419: Is directly proportional to the amount of disturbance in a given plot. Certain gull breeds have been known to feast on the eyeballs of baby seals, and directly pilfer milk from the elephant seal 's teat. Gulls are monogamous and colonial breeders that display mate fidelity which normally lasts for the life of the pair. Divorce of mated pairs does occur, but it apparently has a social cost that persists for
1050-579: Is placed in the prehistoric genus Gaviota ; apart from this and the undescribed Early Oligocene fossil, all prehistoric species were tentatively assigned to the modern genus Larus . Among those of them that have been confirmed as gulls, Milne-Edwards' "Larus" elegans and "L." totanoides from the Late Oligocene/ Early Miocene of southeast France have since been separated in Laricola . Herring gull Herring gull
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#17327728885241100-464: Is questionable. Before the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus , but this arrangement is now known to be polyphyletic , leading to the resurrection of the genera Ichthyaetus , Chroicocephalus , Leucophaeus , Saundersilarus , and Hydrocoloeus . Some English names refer to species complexes within the group: In common usage, members of various gull species are often referred to as 'sea gulls' or 'seagulls'; however, this
1150-609: The Caspian gull L. cachinnans , or more broadly as a subspecies of the herring gull L. argentatus . The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and the species name honours the German zoologist Karl Michahelles . It is now generally accepted that the yellow-legged gull is a full species, but until recently there was much disagreement. For example, British Birds magazine split
1200-527: The Larus species. Live food often includes crustaceans , molluscs , fish and small birds. Gulls have unhinging jaws that provide the flexibility to consume large prey. Gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea, except for the kittiwakes and Sabine's gull . The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Large white-headed gulls are usually long-lived birds, with
1250-800: The Sternidae , Stercorariidae , and Rhynchopidae as subfamilies in the family Laridae, but early 21st-century research shows this to be incorrect. A molecular phylogenetic study published in 2022 found the following relationships between the genera, including the most recent generic change: the placement of Saunders's gull in its own genus Saundersilarus . Creagrus – swallow-tailed gull Hydrocoloeus – little gull Rhodostethia – Ross's gull Rissa – kittiwakes (2 species) Xema – Sabine's gull Pagophila – ivory gull Saundersilarus – Saunders's gull Chroicocephalus – (10 species) Leucophaeus – (5 species) Ichthyaetus – (6 species) Larus – (24 species) This
1300-492: The lockdown of Italy in 2020, when the lack of food scraps led the yellow-legged gulls of Rome to take prey as large as rats and rock doves . Atlantic gulls in Gibraltar have been observed and photographed picking and eating fruit from olive trees in flight. Yellow-legged gulls usually breed in colonies. Eggs, usually three, are laid from mid March to early May and are defended vigorously by this large gull. The nest
1350-412: The tarsus is 5.6 to 7.5 cm (2.2 to 3.0 in). Adults are externally similar to herring gulls but have yellow legs. They have a grey back, slightly darker than herring gulls but lighter than lesser black-backed gulls . They are much whiter-headed in autumn, and have more extensively black wing tips with few white spots, just as lesser black-backed. They have a red spot on the bill as adults, like
1400-848: The Middle East, a few breed in Israel , Palestine and Syria with larger numbers in Cyprus and Turkey . In Europe, there are colonies all along the Mediterranean coast, and also on the Atlantic islands and coasts north to Brittany and west to the Azores. It also breeds on the western side of the Black Sea ; here it overlaps with the Caspian gull but there is a difference in habitat, with
1450-420: The air, on water, or on land. In the air, a number of hooded species are able to hawk insects on the wing; larger species perform this feat more rarely. Gulls on the wing also snatch items both off water and off the ground, and over water they also plunge-dive to catch prey. Again, smaller species are more manoeuvrable and better able to hover-dip fish from the air. Dipping is also common when birds are sitting on
1500-472: The black-backed gull) was heavily impacted by human fishing discards and fishing ports. Looking further at environmental drivers that structure bird habitat and distribution are human and climate impacts. Looking at waterbird distribution in wetlands, changes in salinity, water depth, water body isolation and hydroperiod altered bird community structure in both a species and guild specific way. Gulls in particular had high associations with salinity levels, being
1550-586: The chicks until they fledge . Although the chicks are fed by both parents, early on in the rearing period the male does most of the feeding and the female most of the brooding and guarding. The family Laridae was introduced (as Laridia) by the French polymath Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. The taxonomy of gulls is confused by their widespread distribution zones of hybridisation leading to gene flow . Some have traditionally been considered ring species , but research has suggested that this assumption
Yellow-legged gull - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-411: The coasts near their breeding sites. A big influence on non-breeding gull distribution are food patches. Human fisheries especially have an impact since they often provide an abundant and predictable food resource. Looking at two species of gulls dependent on human fisheries, Audouin's gull ( Ichthyaetus audouinii ) and lesser black-backed gulls ( Larus fuscus) , their breeding distributions (especially
1650-421: The entire complex. There is a red ring around the eye like in the lesser black-backed gull but unlike in the herring gull which has a dark yellow ring. First-year birds have a paler head, rump and underparts than those of the herring gull, more closely resembling first-year great black-backed gulls in plumage. They have a dark bill and eyes, pinkish grey legs, dark flight feathers and a well-defined black band on
1700-400: The exceptions being Sabine's gull and swallow-tailed gulls , which have forked tails, and Ross's gull , which has a wedge-shaped tail. Gulls have moderately long legs, especially when compared to the similar terns, with fully webbed feet. The bill is generally heavy and slightly hooked, with the larger species having stouter bills than the smaller species. The bill colour is often yellow with
1750-422: The head varies by breeding season; in nonbreeding dark-hooded gulls, the hood is lost, sometimes leaving a single spot behind the eye, and in white-headed gulls, nonbreeding heads may have streaking. The gulls have a worldwide cosmopolitan distribution . They breed on every continent, including the margins of Antarctica , and are found in the high Arctic as well. They are less common on tropical islands, although
1800-408: The herring gull. Like most Larus gulls, they are omnivores and opportunistic foragers. They will scavenge on rubbish tips and elsewhere, as well as seeking suitable prey in fields or on the coast, or robbing smaller gulls and other seabirds of their catches. Although urban populations are generally opportunistic scavengers , they can shift to a predatory diet if necessary; this was observed during
1850-703: The main environmental predictor for waterbird assemblage. Charadriiform birds drink salt water, as well as fresh water, as they possess exocrine glands located in supraorbital grooves of the skull by which salt can be excreted through the nostrils to assist the kidneys in maintaining electrolyte balance. Gulls are highly adaptable feeders that opportunistically take a wide range of prey. The food taken by gulls includes fish and marine and freshwater invertebrates, both alive and already dead; terrestrial arthropods and invertebrates such as insects and earthworms; rodents, eggs, carrion, offal , reptiles, amphibians, seeds, fruit, human refuse, and even other birds. No gull species
1900-463: The nest dry, particularly species that nest in tidal marshes . Both sexes gather nesting material and build the nest, but the division of labour is not always exactly equal. In coastal towns, many gulls nest on rooftops and can be observed by nearby human residents. Clutch size is typically three eggs, although some of the smaller gulls only lay two, and the swallow-tailed gull produces a single egg. Birds synchronise their laying within colonies, with
1950-677: The nesting site from others of their species. This area can be as large as a 5-metre radius around the nest in the herring gull to just a tiny area of cliff ledge in the kittiwakes . Most gulls breed once a year and have predictable breeding seasons lasting for three to five months. Gulls begin to assemble around the colony for a few weeks prior to occupying it. Existing pairs re-establish their pair-bonds , and unpaired birds begin courting. Pairs then move back into their territories, and new males establish new territories and attempt to court females. Gulls defend their territories from rivals of both sexes using calls and aerial attacks. Nest building
2000-577: The northwest coast of Spain revealed a shift from a sardine to crustacean-based diet. This shift was linked to higher fishing efficiency and thus overall fish stock depletion. Lastly, closure of nearby open-air landfills limited food availability for the gulls, furthering creating a stress on their shift in diet. Between the years of 1974–1994, yellow-legged gull populations in Berlenga Island, Portugal, increased from 2600 to 44,698 individuals. Analyzing both adult and chick remains, researchers found
2050-399: The smaller gulls tend to be more manoeuvrable while walking. The walking gait of gulls includes a slight side to side motion, something that can be exaggerated in breeding displays. In the air, they are able to hover and they are also able to take off quickly with little space. The general pattern of plumage in adult gulls is a white body with a darker mantle; the extent to which the mantle
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2100-419: The suborder Lari . They are most closely related to terns and skimmers , distantly related to auks , and even more distantly related to waders . Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus , but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic , leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mews ; this still exists in certain regional English dialects and
2150-462: The surface when hunting. Examples of such associations include four species of gulls feeding around plumes of mud brought to the surface by feeding grey whales , and also between orcas (largest dolphin species) and kelp gulls (and other seabirds). Looking at the effect of humans on gull diet, overfishing of target prey such as sardines have caused a shift in diet and behaviour. Analysis of yellow-legged gull's ( Larus michahellis ) pellets off
2200-406: The tail. They become lighter in the underparts and lose the upperpart pattern subsequently. By their second winter, birds are essentially feathered like adults, save for the patterned feathers remaining on the wing coverts . However, their bill tips are black, their eyes still dark, and the legs are a light yellow flesh colour. The call is a loud laugh which is deeper and more nasal than the call of
2250-448: The water, and gulls may swim in tight circles or foot paddle to bring marine invertebrates up to the surface. Food is also obtained by searching the ground, often on the shore among sand, mud or rocks. Larger gulls tend to do more feeding in this way. In shallow water gulls may also engage in foot paddling. One method of obtaining prey involves dropping heavy shells of clams and mussels onto hard surfaces. Gulls may fly some distance to find
2300-444: The whale as it surfaces and pecking out pieces of flesh. Gulls range in size from the little gull , at 120 grams ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 4 ounces) and 29 centimetres ( 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches), to the great black-backed gull , at 1.75 kg (3 lb 14 oz) and 76 cm (30 in). They are generally uniform in shape, with heavy bodies, long wing, and moderately long necks. The tails of all but three species are rounded;
2350-492: The winter in mild areas of western Europe or head south as far as Senegal , Gambia and the Red Sea . There is also extensive northward post-breeding dispersal in the late summer, with numbers in southern England high from July to October. It is reported as a vagrant to northeastern North America and Nigeria . The yellow-legged gull is a large gull, though the size does vary, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than
2400-460: The winter, but the extent to which they migrate varies by species. Some migrate long distances, notably Sabine's gull , which migrates from the Arctic coasts to winter off the west coasts of South America and southern Africa, and Franklin's gull , which migrates from Canada to wintering grounds off the west coast of South America. Other species move much shorter distances and may simply disperse along
2450-566: The yellow-legged gull from the herring gull in 1993 but included the Caspian gull in the former, but the BOU in Great Britain retained the yellow-legged gull as a subspecies of the herring gull until 2007. DNA research, however, suggests that the yellow-legged gull is actually closest to the great black-backed gull L. marinus and the Armenian gull L. armenicus , while the Caspian gull
2500-409: The yellow-legged gull preferring sea cliffs and the Caspian gull flatter shores. In recent decades birds have spread north into central and western Europe. One to four pairs have attempted to breed in southern England since 1995 (sometimes hybrid pairs with lesser black-backed gulls), though colonisation has been very slow. Many birds remain in the same area all year round, but others migrate to spend
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