| Common Gull (Larus canus (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
|
|
Scientific name: Larus canus (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Common Gull Other names: Mew Gull (for the North American species). French name: Goéland cendré Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Size: Body size: 38 to 44 cm; Weight: 300 to 500 g ; Wingspan: 106 to 125 cm. Habitat: Rocky and sandy coasts, estuaries, but also inland, damp meadows and cultivated areas, lakes and reservoirs. Food: Depending on the habitat, the Common Gull feeds on molluscs, shrimps, insects, larvae, earth worms, etc. It also feeds on carrions and in rubbish dumps. Nesting: The Common Gull can nest alone or in a large colony. The nest is located on the ground in very various places and sometimes on a building. It has the shape of a small depression lined with seaweeds and other plants. Females lay about 3 eggs between May and July. Both parents will take their turn to lay on the eggs and feed the chicks till they can fly. Migration: The Common Gull move southwards in winter, to southern Europe, North Africa, southern China. Geographic area: Europe, North Africa, Asia, North America. |
The Common Gull is a small size gull, about the size of a Black-headed Gull. The bill is greenish yellow. This enables to tell the Common Gull apart from many other gull species which show a red patch on the bill. The adults' upper side or the body and wings are ashy grey. The head, the under parts and the tail are white. The tip of the primary remiges is black with a well marked white patch. The legs are yellow or yellowish green. There are small dark streaks on the head and on the neck during the internuptial period. The Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is similar to the Common Gull but does not show the white patches at the wing tips. |
| [To know more about the Common Gull] [Top] |
|
The white patches at the wing tip make me think to the Common Gull rather than to the Black-legged Kittiwake. |
André Bon May 2012
Home
Home