Common gull

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Common gull
Common gull (Larus canus) adult breeding Oppdal.jpg
Adult in breeding plumage, Norway
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
Species:
L. canus
Binomial name
Larus canus
Larus canus map.svg

The common gull (Larus canus) is a medium-sized gull that breeds in cool temperate regions of the Palearctic from Iceland and Scotland east to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Most common gulls migrate further south in winter, reaching the Mediterranean Sea, the southern Caspian Sea, and the seas around China and Japan; northwest European populations are at least partly resident. [2] [3] The closely related short-billed gull was formerly often included in this species, which was then sometimes known collectively as "mew gull".

Contents

Taxonomy

The common gull was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Larus canus. [4] Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden. [5] The genus name is a Latin word for a seabird, probably a gull. The specific epithet canus is also Latin and means "grey". [6] The name "common gull" was coined by Thomas Pennant in 1768 because he considered it the most numerous of its genus. [7] [8] John Ray earlier used the name common sea-mall. [7] [9]

There are many old British regional names for this species, typically variations on maa, mar, and mew. [10] The original English word mew is related to German möwe and Dutch meeuw, and is ultimately onomatopoeic. [11] In Norse influenced regions of Britain, variations include maw or sea-maw, the old Norfolk form being mow. The word gull comes from a Celtic root, with the first recorded usage in English from the 1400s; the modern Welsh form is gwylan. [12]

Subspecies

Winter plumage Larus canus winter plumage.jpg
Winter plumage

There are three subspecies, [13] with the Kamchatka gull (L. (c.) kamtschatschensis) being considered a potential distinct species by some authorities. [3] [2]

ImageSubspeciesDescriptionDistribution
Common Gull (Fiskemake) (Larus canus) - Senja, Norway 2023-07-10.jpg L. c. canus Linnaeus, 1758
Common gull		The nominate subspecies; small, mantle medium grey (the palest subspecies); wingtips with extensive black; iris dark. First-year birds develop white feathers on the head and belly with fine dark markings. Wingspan 110–125 cm (43–49 in); weight 290–480 g (10–17 oz).Breeds in northern Europe and northwestern Asia, wintering mainly in western Europe.
Larus canus heinei, Oktiabr'skii raion, Izhevsk, respublika Udmurtiia, Rossiia 1.jpg L. c. heinei Homeyer, 1853
Russian common gull		Larger than L. c. canus with a more sloping forehead, which gives the appearance of a smaller bill. Eyes are usually paler, bill and legs deeper yellow than L. c. canus with weaker dark bill markings in winter. The wings are proportionally longer with more black on p5-p8 than L. c. canus with narrow white spots forming a conspicuous "string of pearls". p4 has black markings which are rare in L. c. canus. First-year immatures have a whiter head, belly and underwings than L. c. canus at the same age, with an unmarked rump and more defined black tail band. Intergrades are common in west Russia. [14] Weight 315–550 g (11.1–19.4 oz).Breeds in north central Asia, winters in southeastern Europe, southwestern and eastern Asia (eastern China, Korea).
Larus canus kamtschatschensis, Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan 1.jpg L. c. kamtschatschensis  Bonaparte, 1857
syn. L. kamtschatschensis
Kamchatka gull		The largest subspecies, its size intermediate between common and ring-billed gulls with the largest males approaching the size of black-tailed gulls. [14] Head is squarer with a flatter forehead and the bill is thicker and longer than L. c. canus, with paler eyes and deeper yellow bill and legs. Mantle medium-dark grey; wingtips with extensive black, with markings on p5-p8 forming a "string of pearls". Plumage development is generally slower than L. c. canus; first-year immatures retain juvenile feathers through the winter, appearing darker and browner overall, and the tail has more extensive black. Brown covert wing feathers are still retained in the second winter. [2] Weight 394–586 g (13.9–20.7 oz).Breeds in northeastern Asia, winters in eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, Sakhalin).

The North American short-billed gull was formerly widely considered conspecific with this species (as Larus canus brachyrhynchus), but most authorities now accept it as a distinct species L. brachyrhynchus, based on differences in genetics, morphology and calls. [2] [15] Though the name "mew gull" was then widely used outside of North America as its unique subspecific name, [16] [17] [2] this name was also used in North America for Larus canus as a whole, so the name "short-billed gull" was chosen for L. brachyrhynchus by the American Ornithological Society (AOS) to avoid confusion with this North American usage of mew gull to denote all forms of the L. canus complex. The revival of the name short-billed gull in some of the same literature for L. brachyrhynchus, and that that short-billed gull was used historically for L. brachyrhynchus when it was treated as a distinct species in the first to third editions of the AOU (now AOS) checklist (in which the name mew gull, contrary to more recent usage, was specifically reserved for the Old World subspecies). [18]

Description

Adult breeding plumage, Norway Common gull (Larus canus) adult breeding in flight Oppdal.jpg
Adult breeding plumage, Norway
Breeding adults have red rings around dark eyes Kizhi Island, Russia Larus canus-calling.jpg
Breeding adults have red rings around dark eyes Kizhi Island, Russia

Adult common gulls are 40–46 cm (16–18 in) long and a wingspan of 100–115 cm (39–45 in), noticeably smaller than the herring gull and slightly smaller than the ring-billed gull. It is further distinguished from the ring-billed gull by its shorter, more tapered bill, which is a more greenish shade of yellow and is unmarked during the breeding season. The body is grey above and white below. The legs are yellow in breeding season, becoming duller in the winter. In winter, the head is streaked grey and the bill often has a poorly defined blackish band near the tip, which is sometimes sufficiently obvious to cause confusion with ring-billed gull. They have black wingtips with large white "mirrors" on the outer primaries p9 and p10, which are smaller than those in the short-billed gull. [14] Young birds have scaly black-brown upperparts and a neat wing pattern, and pink legs which become greyish in the second year before tuning yellow. By the first winter, the head and belly are white, with fine streaks and greyish feathers grow on the saddle. They take three years (up to four in the Kamchatka subspecies [14] ) to reach maturity. The call is a high-pitched "laughing" cry. [3] [19]

Distribution

The common gull breeds in the northern Palearctic from Iceland eastwards to northeast Siberia. It is mainly migratory and winters in Europe, the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian seas, Persian Gulf; Sea of Okhotsk, Japan, Korean Peninsula to southeast China. [20]

It occurs as a scarce winter visitor to coastal eastern Canada and as a vagrant to the northeastern USA. [21] The Kamchatka gull is occasionally seen in northwestern North America mainly in spring, and there is one autumn record in Newfoundland. [14]

Behaviour and ecology

Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden Larus canus MWNH 0334.JPG
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden

Breeding

The common gull usually breeds colonially, but can be solitary. Both sexes make a lined nest on the ground or in a small tree near water or in marshes. Usually three eggs are laid (sometimes just one or two). They are incubated by both parents and hatch after 24–26 days. The chicks are precocial but remain in the vicinity of the nest. They are cared for by both parents and fledge when aged around 35 days. [22]

Food and feeding

Like most gulls, they are omnivores and will scavenge as well as hunt small prey. The global population is estimated to be about one million pairs; they are most numerous in Europe, with over half (possibly as much as 80-90%) of the world population. [23] By contrast, the short-billed gull population in Alaska is only about 10,000 pairs. [3]

Larus Canus Fishing Sequence.jpg
Larus canus fishing sequence

Related Research Articles

<i>Larus</i> Genus of birds

Larus is a large genus of gulls with worldwide distribution.

Mew gull has been split into the following two species:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughing gull</span> Species of bird

The laughing gull is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. The two subspecies are L. a. megalopterus — which can be seen from southeast Canada down to Central America — and L. a. atricilla, which appears from the West Indies to the Venezuelan islands. The laughing gull was long placed in the genus Larus until its present placement in Leucophaeus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunlin</span> Species of bird

The dunlin is a small wader in the genus Calidris. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from dun, "dull brown", with the suffix -ling, meaning a person or thing with the given quality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian oystercatcher</span> Species of bird

The Eurasian oystercatcher also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long straight orange-red bill, red eyes and relatively short dull pink legs. The sexes are similar in appearance but the bill of the female is longer than that of the male.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great black-backed gull</span> Species of bird

The great black-backed gull is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and is fairly sedentary, though some move farther south or inland to large lakes and reservoirs. The adult great black-backed gull has a white head, neck and underparts, dark grey wings and back, pink legs and yellow bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser black-backed gull</span> Species of bird

The lesser black-backed gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especially along the east coast. Formerly just a winter visitor to North America, it has increased and occurs in large numbers some winters and birds are now recorded year-round. However, there is serious concern about decline in many parts of its range. The species is on the UK Amber List because the UK is home to 40 per cent of the European population and more than half of these are found at fewer than ten breeding sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little gull</span> Species of bird

The little gull, is a species of gull belonging to the family Laridae which is mainly found in the Palearctic with some colonies in North America. It breeds on freshwaters and spends winters at sea. It is the smallest species of gull in the world and the only species in the monospecific genus Hydrocoloeus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaucous gull</span> Species of bird

The glaucous gull is a large gull, the second-largest gull in the world. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name hyperboreus is Latin for "northern" from the Ancient Greek Huperboreoi people from the far north "Glaucous" is from Latin glaucus and denotes the grey colour of the gull. An older English name for this species is burgomaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland gull</span> Species of bird in the genus Larus

The Iceland gull is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not in Iceland, where it is only seen during winter. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name glaucoides denotes its resemblance to Larus glaucus, a synonym of Larus hyperboreus, the glaucous gull; -oides is Ancient Greek and means "resembling".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ring-billed gull</span> Species of bird

The ring-billed gull is a medium-sized gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific delawarensis refers to the Delaware River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitic jaeger</span> Species of bird

The parasitic jaeger or Arctic skua (Europe), is a seabird in the skua family Stercorariidae. It is a migratory species that breeds in Northern Scandinavia, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Northern Canada, Alaska, and Siberia and winters across the southern hemisphere. Kleptoparasitism is a major source of food for this species during migration and winter, and is where the name is derived from.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient murrelet</span> Species of bird

The ancient murrelet is a bird in the auk family. The English term "murrelet" is a diminutive of "murre", a word of uncertain origins, but which may imitate the call of the common guillemot. Ancient murrelets are called "ancient" because they have grey on the back like a shawl, as worn by the elderly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabine's gull</span> Species of bird

Sabine's gull is a small gull. It is usually treated as the only species placed in the genus Xema, though some authors include it with other gulls in a wide view of the genus Larus. It has also been known historically as fork-tailed gull or "xeme". It breeds in colonies on arctic coasts and tundra, laying two or three spotted olive-brown eggs in a ground nest lined with grass. Sabine's gull is pelagic outside the breeding season. It takes a wide variety of mainly animal food, and will eat any suitable small prey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaucous-winged gull</span> Species of bird

The glaucous-winged gull is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific glaucescens is Neo-Latin for "glaucous" from the Ancient Greek, glaukos, denoting the grey color of its wings.

<i>Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America</i> 2004 book by Klaus Malling Olsen and Hans Larsson

Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America by Klaus Malling Olsen and Hans Larsson is a volume in the Helm Identification Guides series of bird identification books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thayer's gull</span> Subspecies of bird

Thayer's gull is a subspecies of the Iceland gull. It is a large gull native to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American herring gull</span> Species of bird

The American herring gull or Smithsonian gull is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithological Society as a subspecies of herring gull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-billed gull</span> Gull species native to western North America

The short-billed gull is a medium-sized species of gull that breeds in northwestern North America. In North America, it was previously known as the mew gull, when it was considered conspecific with the palearctic common gull. Most authorities, including the American Ornithological Society in 2021, have split the two populations as distinct species.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International. (2019) [amended version of 2018 assessment]. "Larus canus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T22694308A155576460. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694308A155576460.en . Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Olsen, K.M.; Larsson, H. (2004). Gulls of Europe, Asia, and North America. Helm. ISBN   0-7136-7087-8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Burger, J.; Golchfeld, M. (1996). "Family Laridae" . In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 572–623 [603–604]. ISBN   978-84-87334-20-7.
  4. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 136.
  5. ↑ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 315.
  6. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  219, 89. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. 1 2 Lockwood 1993, p. 46.
  8. ↑ Pennant, Thomas (1768). British Zoology. Vol. 2. Warrington, United Kingdom: Printed for Benjamin White. p. 424.
  9. ↑ Willughby, Francis (1678). Ray, John (ed.). The Ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the County of Warwick. London: John Martyn. pp.  27, 345-346.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Christine E. (1968). British Names of Birds. Witherby. ISBN   978-0854930043.
  11. ↑ Lockwood 1993, p. 103.
  12. ↑ Trudgill, P.; Trudgill, J. (2016). Dialect Matters: Respecting Vernacular Language. Dialect Matters. Respecting Vernacular Language (in German). Cambridge University Press. p. 118. ISBN   978-1-107-13047-0 . Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  13. ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Noddies, gulls, terns, skimmers, skuas, auks". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Olsen, Klaus Malling (2018). Gulls of the World : a Photographic Guide. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0-691-18059-5.
  15. ↑ Rasmussen, Pamela C. (10 November 2020). "Split Mew Gull Larus canus brachyrhynchus and rename as Short-billed Gull". AOS Classification Committee – North and Middle America. Proposal Set 2021-A: 187–188.
  16. ↑ Grant, Peter James (1986). Gulls. Christopher Helm Publishers. p. 55–56. ISBN   0-85661-044-5.
  17. ↑ Alfrey, Peter (2006-11-24). "Mew Gull Identification". Surfbirds. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  18. ↑ Chesser, R.T.; Billerman, S.M.; Burns, K.J.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Hernández-Baños, B.E.; Kratter, A.W.; Lovette, I.J.; Mason, N.A.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.J.; Stotz, D.F.; Winker, K. (2021). "Sixty-second Supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds". Ornithology. 138 (ukab037). doi: 10.1093/ornithology/ukab037 .
  19. ↑ Snow, D.W.; Perrins, C.M. (1998). The Birds of the Western Palearctic (Concise ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-854099-X.
  20. ↑ Moskoff, W.; Bevier, L.R.; Rasmussen, P.C. (2020). Billerman, S.M. (ed.). "Common Gull (Larus canus), version 1.1" . Birds of the World. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.mewgul.01.1 . Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  21. ↑ Sibley, David Allen (2000). The Sibley Guide to Birds . New York: Knopf. p.  483. ISBN   0-679-45122-6.
  22. ↑ Cramp 1983, pp. 799–800.
  23. ↑ Hagemeijer, W.J.M.; Blair, M.J., eds. (1997). The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds . London: Poyser. ISBN   0-85661-091-7.

Sources

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