[AMERICAN] HERRING GULL. Larus argentatus
24.00 in.
Ad. in summer.— Head, neck, tail, and under parts pure white; back and wings pearl-gray; ends of quill-feathers black, the two outer, for over seven inches, spotted near the extremity with white and tipped with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in winter.— Similar, but head and hind neck streaked with grayish. Im in the first winter.— Upper and under parts brownish; tips of wings and tail blackish. Later in various stages with whitish head, and brown upper parts; tail white with a broad black tip; bill crossed by a dark band at the tip.
Nest, of grass, moss, etc., either on the ground or in trees. Eggs, grayish-brown, blotched with chocolate.
The Herring Gull breeds commonly along the coast of Maine and less commonly on some of the inland lakes of
that State. On Great Duck Island off Mt. Desert, on Little Spoon Island, and on No Man's Land very large colonies now breed. In winter it is very common along the coast of New York and New England and is the common gull in all the harbors. Though none are now known to breed regularly west of No Man's Land off Penobscot Bay, flocks of greater or less size spend the whole summer off the north shore of Massachusetts, and a few are found at the same season off Nantucket and the Vineyard. Early in August these flocks receive accessions from the north, and by the end of September large flocks have returned to their winter feeding-grounds in the harbors of cities and settlements, large or small. At this season, too, and in spring, gulls visit inland waters, settling on ponds near the sea-coast as long as there is open water; along the Hudson and the Connecticut they are common migrants, but they are very rare migrants in Berkshire County, Mass. By the end of April, migration is practically over. On the breeding-ground they regularly light on trees, but during the rest of the year, they spend their time either floating on the water, or circling over it, in search of refuse, or gather in large coni panies on the exposed sand-bars and mud-flats. If disturbed on the breeding-ground the gulls circle about overhead, repeating ceaselessly a dry kak, kak-kak, or a loud cry like the scream of a Red-shouldered Hawk. In winter, when flocks are settling down on a sand-bar, they are often very noisy, whining and squealing in a high-pitched voice.
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The old birds have the head, tail, and under parts white, and wings and back gray; the wings are tipped with black. The immature birds are at first uniformly brown, but as they begin to change to the adult plumage, many intermediate stages are to be seen. The Herring Gull is by far the commonest species in winter; in summer the much smaller Tern, or Mackerel Gull, is commoner in certain waters, as about the islands south of Cape Cod, and along parts of Long Island Sound. It will be well, before attempting to identify the other, less common species of gull or tern, to study carefully the appearance of the gulls which are to be seen in every harbor along our coast, till one is thoroughly familiar with their size and their different plumages.
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. Larus marinus
29.00 in.
Ad. in summer.— Tail and under parts pure white; back and wings apparently black (really dark brown); wings edged posteriorly with white; bill yellow; feet pale flesh-color. Ad. in winter.— Similar, but top of head and hind neck streaked with dusky. Im.— Upper parts dusky, tail dusky, crossed near the tip by a narrow band of brownish-white; head, neck, and under parts white, streaked and washed with brown.
Adult, Long Island, NY, 2021
Long Island, NY, 2021
Long Island, NY, 2021
Adult, Long Island, NY, 2022
Third winter, Kings Park, Long Island, NY, 2023
Two Great Black-backed gulls with Herring gulls (smaller), Long Island, NY, 2023
The Black-backed Gull is a winter resident along the seacoast of New York and New England. A few individuals arrive in August, and a few linger till May, but the species is commonest in the winter months. It is much less common, however, than the Herring Gull, and as a rule keeps to the outer shores and beaches. Occasionally, however, one or two may be observed in a harbor or even in a fresh-water pond near the sea; there are generally one or two among the Herring Gulls that gather off T wharf in Boston. A common cry of the Black-backed Gull is a harsh kyow, suggesting the note of the Green Heron.
When a large flock of gulls are standing on a flat or sandbar, the mature Black-backed Gulls will be easily distinguished from the Herring Gulls, if they stand with their backs and sides toward the observer; the black wings and back will then present a striking contrast to the pure white head and neck. To identify a bird when flying, one must be sure to get a view of the upper part of the wings; even a Herring Gull will often appear to have dark wings, when the under surface is seen in shadow. The immature Black-backed Gulls can often be told from the immature Herring Gulls only if the two stand side by side, when the difference in size becomes apparent.
