Tag: Larus argentatus

Courtship feeding between Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans and Herring Gull L. argentatus in the Western Mediterranean

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 5 abstract Several species of large white-headed gulls, genus Larus, often hybridize freely where they occur sympatrically (Ingolfsson 1987, Pierotti 1987, Spear 1987, Pierotti & Annett 1993). In the Ebro Delta (Ebro Delta National Park, 40

Effects of changes in the availability of human refuse on breeding parameters in a Herring Gull Larus argentatus population in Brittany, France

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 7 abstract Feeding behaviour and breeding parameters of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus were studied on Treberon, France, before (1983-88) and after (1989) a decrease of 80% in the amount of refuse dumped at a nearby tip. In 1989, fewer gulls visited the refuse tip than before the alteration, […]

Breeding Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus graellsii and Herring Gulls Larus argentatus: Coexistence or competition?

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 10 abstract While Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus graellsii numbers increase substantially at the German North Sea coast since the late 1980s, Herring Gull Larus argentatus numbers have been roughly stable since the mid-1980s. In order to investigate whether a different ecology might explain the current trends, we studied […]

Egg predation in the Herring Gull Larus argentatus: Why does it vary so much between nests?

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 8 abstract We studied egg loss in Herring Gulls Larus argentatus on the Dutch Frisian Island of Terschelling. Conspecific egg predation was the main cause of egg loss. Late breeding, a small inter-nest distance and a low vegetation cover enhanced egg predation. Predation was more frequent in nests […]

Herring Gull Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus feeding at fishing vessels in the breeding season: Competitive scavenging versus efficient flying

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 9 abstract The distribution and feeding range of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls breeding on the Dutch Wadden Sea islands were assessed, using the results of ship-based surveys in the southern North Sea. The occurrence of both species in association with commercial fishing vessels is described in […]

Reduced availability of refuse and breeding output in a herring gull (Larus argentatus) colony

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 1 abstract We studied the reproductive performance of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in an old stable colony in SW Finland. Over the period 1993-1997, the colony decreased, and the garbage dumps the birds may have utilised have all closed. This had an effect on the breeding performance of […]

Nitrite poisoning in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis)

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 2 abstract Landfill disposal of a fertilizer manufacturing waste product was associated with a die-off of gulls in New Hanover County, North Carolina. An estimated 250 herring and ring-billed gulls were found dead at the site following the initial disposal of this material. Chemical analyses revealed that the […]

Between the Herring Gull and the bulldozer

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 11 abstract Flock composition and interspecific dominance were studied in Black-headed Gulls and Herring Gulls wintering at an inland refuse dump in Germany. Herring Gulls were the dominant species and forced the much more numerous Black-headed Gulls to forage close to operating bulldozers. This supports the hypothesis that […]

Diseases and Pathological Conditions of the Herring Gull

European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Science Article 4 abstract Many wild birds are parasitised by organisms that afflict domestic animals particularly poultry, and even man. Perhaps the best examples are the encephalomyelitis viruses which can kill domestic animals and man, but which have little or no effect on the bird natural hosts3. Large numbers of […]