There are approximately 88 species of birds belonging to the family Laridae, of which 54 are gulls. The term "Seagull" is misleading as many species of gulls feed and/or nest inland. Gulls are distributed worldwide with the exception of tropical deserts and jungles and some central Pacific islands. Gulls are fairly uniform in shape with varied coloration and size. The range of plumages that they have depends on their age and time of year. Gulls range from about 11 to 32 inches in length. The largest is the "Great Black-Backed Gull" with a wingspread of about 63 inches and comparable in size to a small Golden Eagle. The smallest is the "Little Gull" the size of a pigeon with a wingspread of about 24 inches. Larger species can take up to four years to mature. Except for the hind-toe, the feet are fully webbed and the bill is hooked. Although they can swim well on the surface they cannot dive or swim under water. Gulls are gymnasts of the sky, making the seemingly impossible appear effortless. They can appear motionless in midair by catching wind currents with perfect timing and precision while positioning their bodies at just the right angle. Seagulls are a typical feature of coastal towns, and have existed alongside humans for many thousands of years. They are quiet birds, considered quite beneficial by farmers, and are usually gentle creatures, exhibiting neither antagonism to nor fondness for man.

Commonly called the "Seagull", the Herring gulls are the most familiar and widespread of the gull species. This big bold bird is around 25 inches long and has a wingspan of almost 60 inches. As a young bird it is brown with scale-like patterns, but as an adult it is white with grey wings, a red spot on the lower beak, and black back feathers. Herring gulls are sociable birds who hunt, migrate and feed together. They are long lived as birds go. In captivity, the longevity record is 44 years and in the wild 36 years. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, however the male is slightly larger. The seagull is best known as a scavenger. It is most often seen in large, noisy flocks congregating where food is available, around fishing boats, picnic grounds, parking lots and garbage dumps. Many people consider it a nuisance. but the gull performs a valuable service. It scavenges up great numbers of dead or injured animals and organic litter which could pose a health threat to humans. In the fields it devours large amounts of destructive pests such as grasshoppers, and mice. The call of the gull is distinctive, a shrill, screatchy Eurl repeated incessantly.

Mating

Gulls start to breed when three to seven years old. Female gulls usually take the active role in choosing a mate. The female picks out a male and walks round and round him, tossing her head. If the male ignores her she picks another male and repeats the process. Once a pair have mated they tend to remain loyal to each other in future years.

Nesting

Traditional nest sites are on ledges of sea cliffs, islands and other inaccessible locations however gulls will sometimes nest in a hollow scrape on the ground. Gulls occasionally form large colonies of thousands of birds. Some locations have been used for hundreds of years. Gulls like to nest on islands because there are usually no predators there except for common rodents and they squawk loudly and aggressively when anything gets near their nest. Gulls have also adopted building roofs for nesting. Where nesting gulls are not wanted on a roof, measures to prevent them from nesting may be necessary. The most effective measures involve removing all available food and reducing the attractiveness of nest sites by using physical barriers placed on roofs. Gulls are not particularly skilful nest builders. They simply gather a pile of twigs, moss, stones, shells, paper and seaweed and sit on the pile turning round & round till it has formed an shallow depression. Gulls usually raise two or three young at a time. Nesting seagulls are very protective of their eggs and will protect their nests or young by performing a series of swooping dives over an intruder. This protective aggressive behavior generally occurs during the breeding season and only when intrusion is quite close to the nest or young. The parents take turns sitting on the eggs for twenty to thirty days. Frustrated gulls, unable to persuade their mates to move off the nest, may vent their feelings by piling more material round the nest. Particularly stubborn parents may end up with a nest 3 times normal size. The chicks hatch fully covered in down, and are fed by both parents. Other gulls will take over for chicks whose parents have been killed or abandoned their nest. Before they are 10 days old nestlings may peck at the red spot on the parent's beak to stimulate the parent to regurgitate food. The young gulls remain at or near the nest for several days before moving to the safety of nearby vegetation. Mortality is high in the nesting colonies, but survivors may live up to 30 years or more

Diet

An observer once noted that seagulls have only two questions on their minds: (1) Will it taste good? (2) Can I eat it before another bird gets it? Gulls are opportunists and will eat nearly anything: fish, crabs, insects, the eggs and young of other species, small mammals and garbage. They will feed on insects, worms, carrion and scraps, household and industrial waste, and steal food from other birds. Some species will follow a plow picking grubs and earthworms from the freshly turned earth or visit grain fields for grasshoppers, crickets, mice and other prey. Seashore gulls will pick up clams, minnows, barnacles, mussels and crabs from beaches. Gulls are not good fishermen, but they are excellent scavengers. They are noted for visiting garbage dumps, sometimes far inland from the nearest water. They forage along the shores of lakes, rivers, and oceans, where they pick up dead animal matter or catch fish in shallow waters. They are important in cleaning up harbors and beaches. They are known to pick up shellfish and drop them from the air onto a rock, road, house or car to crack them open. They are extremely patient. If the shells do not break they will repeat the process indefinitely. Seagulls have been known to follow a large ship across the ocean, feeding on the garbage thrown overboard. But generally seagulls are not found far out at sea. Some species are notorious robbers, stealing the catches of smaller birds; they often gang up on wounded ducks or other large birds. Feeding gulls should be strongly discouraged. Herring Gulls learn quickly. If hand fed, the bolder birds will take food directly from the hand. Once such confidence is established, the next step will be snatching food from the hand whether it is offered or not and the Herring Gull becomes a victim of its own learning ability. Herring gulls are perfectly capable of finding natural foods and if they are not provided with an unnatural meal, intentionally or otherwise, they will eventually turn to a more natural source of food.

State Bird of Utah

The California Gull is the state bird of Utah. It was chosen in commemoration of the fact that these gulls saved the early Mormon pioneer settlers of Utah from starving by eating up the Rocky Mountain Crickets which were destroying their crops in 1848. When the pioneers arrived in Utah they planted crops to help them survive. As the first fields of grain began growing, swarms of crickets invaded the fields, eating the crops. In the midst of the devastation, when it seemed that nothing could stop the crickets, great flocks of gulls appeared, filling the air with their white wings and plaintive cries. All day long they gorged themselves until the pests were vanquished and the people were saved. After devouring the crickets, the gulls returned to the lake islands.

The California Gull is about two feet long and is pearly-blue and white. It is sometimes barred or streaked with blackish gray. They nest near the Great Salt Lake in huge numbers and fly many miles each day to the surrounding areas to find food and then return to their nests in the evening to feed their young. During the winter months it is hard to find any seagulls in Utah as they migrate to the Pacific Coast.

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Song to a Seagull
Fly silly seabird
No dreams can possess you
No voices can blame you
for sun on your wings
My gentle relations
Have names they must call me
For loving the freedom
Of all flying things
My dreams with the seagulls fly
Out of reach, out of cry

Joni Mitchell, 1968
"Gulls"

Interesting Gull Facts

Laughing Gulls nest in colonies that can consist of 25,000 pairs. As an example of "kleptoparasitism" (stealing), adult Laughing Gulls choose to steal fish from juvenile Brown Pelicans but younger gulls choose their pelican victims at random. Because they try to steal from adult pelicans (who are better at preventing stealing), young gulls are less likely to succeed at stealing.

Ring-billed Gulls "play" by dropping objects while in flight, then swooping down to catch them. This playful behavior may be practice for catching and retrieving prey.

Western Gulls will sometimes follow seals, sea lions or dolphins to join large feeding groups (including other sea birds such as pelicans, cormorants, murres). They feed on squid and fish that are forced to the surface by the mammals. They will dive into water or scoop with their beaks if sitting on the water's surface.

Black-backed Gulls feed in small groups (usually pairs) over foraging blue fin tuna, eating fish and squid that are forced to the surface by the tuna.