Today my son was asking where the gulls he saw on the beach nest. He knows that some birds nest in trees. I told him I had to check on where they nest, then get back to him. Here is some of what I discovered.
First, I have to say that I have looked a few times to try to figure out what are the common gulls that I have seen at the Jersey shore. The most distinctive is one that I know from its call.
Leucophaeus atricilla or the Laughing Gull. The common name says it all. This is a medium sized species that has a black head and a red bill. The black head is grey to more white in the winter plumage.
Larus argentatus or Herring Gull. Very common but I don’t think of this call as being all the familiar. Gray and white, yellow legged gull that is very common.
Larus delawarensis or Ring Billed Gull. This has the higher, slower cadence calls that I think of as the typical Jersey shore gull.
Larus marinus or Great Black-backed Gull. These are the big gulls. Large body, head and beak. the beak has a noticeable downturn at its terminal end. The legs are yellow. Guess what color the back is…
It seems most gulls nest on the ground. They build nests out of some species specific materials.
I have to see how this all fits the next time I go to the beach.
Here are some other curious facts I found concerning these species.
marinus – The Great Black-backed Gull is one of many bird species whose feathers were used for fashionable clothing in the 1800s. After the demise of the feather trade in the early 1900s, Great Black-backed Gull populations increased and spread farther south. Garbage dumps and other sources of human refuse have contributed to their range expansion. (Cornell Bird Lab)
Migrating Ring-billed Gulls apparently use navigate using a compass. They are able to detect magnetic fields.
That’s it for now.