Herring Gull
Adult
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Genus: Larus Species: L. argentatus
Binomial name
Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763

The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large gull which breeds across North America, Europe and Asia. Some herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate further south in winter, but many are permanent residents, e.g. those on the lower Great Lakes, on the east coast of North America or at the North Sea shores. Herring Gulls are also abundant around inland garbage dumps, and some have even adapted to life in inland cities. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (821x713, 289 KB) Beschreibung Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Herring Gull ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Families Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Chionididae Burhinidae Haematopodidae Recurvirostridae Ibidorhynchidae Charadriidae Pluvianellidae Dromadidae Glareolidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae Laridae Sternidae Alcidae Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. ... “Seagull” redirects here. ... Species Many, see list Larus is a large genus of seabirds to which most gulls belong. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Erik Pontoppidan (August 24, 1698 in Aarhus - December 20, 1764) was a Danish author, prelate, historian and antiquary. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... “Seagull” redirects here. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys of varying distances undertaken by many species of birds. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ...

Herring Gull flocks have a loose pecking order, based on size, aggressiveness and physical strength. Communication between these birds is complex and highly-developed - employing both calls and body language. Two identical vocalizations can have very different (sometimes opposite) meanings, for example - depending on the positionings of the head, body, wings and tail relative to each other and the ground in the calling gull. A hierarchy (in Greek hieros = sacred, arkho = rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things. ...

Unlike many flocking birds, Herring Gulls do not engage in social grooming and keep physical contact between individuals to a minimum. Outside of the male/female and parent/chick relationship, each Herring Gull attempts to maintain a respectful 'safe distance' from others of its kind. Any breach of this results in fighting, though severe injuries are seldom inflicted. In social animals and humans social grooming is a major social activity, and a means by which animals who live in proximity can bond and reinforce social structures, family links, and build relationships. ... “Fights” redirects here. ...

The taxonomy of the Herring Gull / Lesser Black-backed Gull complex is very complicated, different authorities recognising between two and eight species. Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) is a large gull which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. ...

This group has a ring distribution around the northern hemisphere. Differences between adjacent forms in this ring are fairly small, but by the time the circuit is completed, the end members, Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull, are clearly different species. In this diagram, interbreeding populations are represented by coloured blocks. ...

Adult Herring Gulls are similar to Ring-billed Gulls but are much larger, have pinkish legs, and a much thicker yellow bill with more pronounced gonys. First-winter Herring Gulls are much browner, but second and third-winter birds can be confusing since soft part colors are variable and third-year Herring Gull often show a ring around the bill. Such birds are most easily distinguished by the larger size and larger bill of Herring Gull. Binomial name Larus delawarensis Ord, 1815 The Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) is a medium-sized gull. ...

The Association of European Rarities Committees recognises six species: The Association of European Rarities Committees is a co-ordinating and liaison body for the bird rarities committees of Europe and other nearby countries. ...

• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• American Herring Gull, Larus smithsonianus
• Caspian Gull, Larus cachinnans
• Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis
• East Siberian Gull, Larus vegae
• Armenian Gull, Larus armenicus

Adults are easily identified by their size, pale grey back and the red spot on the beak. Legs are pink at all ages. The bird depicted is the western European race Larus argentatus argenteus. The Scandinavian race L. a. argentatus is slightly larger and darker, with more white in the wing tips. Binomial name Larus cachinnans Pallas, 1811 Caspian Gull is a name applied to the gull taxon Larus (argentatus) cachinnans, a member of the Herring Gull/Lesser Black-backed Gull complex. ... Binomial name Naumann, 1840 Synonyms Larus cachinnans michahellis Naumann, 1840 Larus cachinnans atlantis Larus cachinnans lusitanius The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) is a large gull of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. ... Binomial name Larus vegae Palmén, 1887 The East Siberian Gull, Larus vegae, is a large gull of the Herring Gull/Lesser Black-backed Gull complex which breeds in Northeast Asia. ... Binomial name Larus argentatus Pontopiddan, 1763 The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large gull which breeds across North America Europe and Asia. ...

The North American American Herring Gull is similar to argentatus, except that immature birds tend to be darker and more uniformly brown.

These are omnivores like most Larus gulls, and will scavenge on rubbish tips and elsewhere, as well as seeking suitable small prey in fields or on the coast, or robbing plovers or lapwings of their catches. Genera Pluvialis Charadrius Thinornis Elseyornis Peltohyas Anarhynchus Phegornis Oreopholus Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. ... Genera Erthrogonys Vanellus Lapwings are medium-sized wading birds belonging to the subfamily Vanellinae of the family Charadriidae, which also includes the plovers and dotterels. ...

Eggs, usually three, are laid on the ground or cliff ledges in colonies, and are defended vigorously by this large gull. The loud laughing call is well-known in the northern hemisphere.

Herring Gulls are known to be capable of seeing ultraviolet light.^[1] “UV” redirects here. ...

Parasites of Herring gulls include the fluke Microphallus piriformes. A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Orders not necessarily a complete list Azygiida Echinostomida Opisthorchiida Plagiorchiida Strigeata Strigeatida Trematodes are also known as flukes. ... Binomial name Microphallus piriformes Galaktionov, 1983 Microphallus piriformes Galaktionov 1983 is a parasitic trematode (fluke) with two hosts: the herring gull and the rough periwinkle. ...

Gallery

A juvenile Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) Download high resolution version (800x685, 142 KB)Juvenile Herring Gull. ...	Juvenile Herring Gull Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1440 × 960 pixel, file size: 200 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...	Adult Herring Gull Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 442 pixelsFull resolution (2300 × 1271 pixel, file size: 1. ...	Herring Gull in flight Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
Herring Gull preening Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 2. ...	Herring Gull tearing open a bin bag Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 2. ... A public waste bag in Paris displaying the inscription Vigilance - Propreté (Vigilance - cleaness) A typical black bin bag from the United Kingdom A bin bag or bin liner (British English) or garbage bag, trash bag, or also can liner (American English) is a bag used to line the insides of...	Herring Gull breeding colony, Bretagne, France Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 900 pixel, file size: 345 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Description : Goélands Larus argentatus en train de nidifier dans lile du Loch aux Glénans Lieu : Ile du Loch, Archipel des Glénans, Bretagne... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Rennes Regional President Jean-Yves Le Drian (PS) (since 2004) Departments Côtes-dArmor Ille-et-Vilaine Morbihan Finistère Arrondissements 15 Cantons 201 Communes 1,268 Statistics Land area1 27,208 km² Population (Ranked 7th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ...

References

1. ^ Marcus, Adam (2006). Feather Colors: What Birds See. Birder's World Magazine. Retrieved on July 18, 2007.

• AERC TAC's Taxonomic Recommendations
• BirdLife International (2004). Larus argentatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Seabirds by Harrison, ISBN 0-7470-1410-8

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Herring Gull

• Herring Gull Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Herring Gull Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
• Herring Gull - Larus argentatus - USGS Patuxent BIrd Identification InfoCenter
• Herring Gull by John Audubon
• Herring Gull videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Herring gull census in the U.K. with some background information.
• Herring gull fact sheet.
• An explanation of why there is a statue of a gull in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Map of Herring Gull distribution in summer and winter in Europe