A comparison of Herring Gull Larus argentatus and Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus nest sites: their characteristics and relationships with breeding success

Nest sites used by Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls in a mixed colony were compared. Correlations between features surrounding a nest and breeding success at different stages of the breeding cycle are presented. Lesser Black-backed Gulls nested on more vegetated and flatter areas than did Herring Gulls, even though the latter species had a lower hatching success at less vegetated sites. The difference in the general topography of nest sites between the species suggests that the Lesser Black-backed Gull, through an individual defence strategy, may be better adapted to use sites which are accessible to ground predators than the Herring Gull. The fledging success of Lesser Black-backed Gulls tended to increase with an increased proportion of relatively tall vegetation close to the nest. The Lesser Black-backed Gull may therefore be able to leave its young unattended and rely on their concealment for protection against predators. In contrast, the Herring Gull may rely more on parental vigilance to protect young. More frequent attendance by adult Herring Gulls at the nest site during chick rearing compared with Lesser Black-backed Gulls supports this hypothesis.     

Molecular evidence for introgressive hybridization in New Zealand masked gulls

We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci to investigate the extent and outcome of hybridization between the Black-billed Gull Chroicocephalus bulleri and the Red-billed Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae scopulinus in New Zealand. Six of 26 sampled Black-billed Gulls possessed mtDNA typical of Red-billed Gulls, but allele frequencies at six polymorphic microsatellites provided little evidence of mixed ancestry expected in very recent hybrids. None of the Red-billed Gulls sampled from different colonies possessed Black-billed Gull mtDNA expected in the reciprocal cross, suggesting that hybridization in the two species typically occurs between female Red-billed Gulls and Black-billed Gull males. The lack of any hybrid signal in the nuclear loci indicates that there has been extensive backcrossing with Black-billed Gulls, effectively diluting the Red-billed Gull nuclear DNA contribution. Divergence of Red-billed Gulls and Black-billed Gulls occurred approximately 250 000 years ago, indicating that unsorted ancestral polymorphism is an unlikely alternative to hybridization. Comparing demographic models within an approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) framework, we confirm that the observed patterns cannot result from incomplete lineage sorting. Using an ABC random forest approach, we determined that the most likely model explaining the data is a recent introgression scenario, whereby unidirectional gene flow is re-established following a period of strict isolation. The ability of Black-billed and Red-billed Gulls to successfully interbreed shows that despite significant differentiation (F_ST > 0.3), there has been insufficient time for the two species to develop complete reproductive isolation. The apparent one-way transfer of Red-billed Gull mtDNA into Black-billed Gulls and extensive backcrossing argues against cytoplasmic–nuclear genome incompatibilities between the two species. We hypothesize that the specific mate recognition system cued on colours of soft parts normally functions to prevent hybridization, but that it can break down under demographic conditions where there is a shortage of available mates and a surplus of females in the Red-billed Gull population. The high incidence of introgression in Black-billed Gulls conflicts with field observations that interbreeding is extremely rare.     

The behaviour of seabirds foraging at fishing boats around Shetland

Among the different types of fishing vessels around Shetland, whitefish trawlers attract the largest numbers of scavenging seabirds and provide the most food. Offal was almost all consumed by seabirds, predominantly by Fulmars Fulmarus glacialis , which excluded other species by their aggression. Fulmars generally ignored discarded whole fish, which were mainly taken by Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus , Gannets Sula bassana and Great Skuas Catharacta skua . Although flatfish were usually ignored because seabirds found them difficult to swallow and they sank faster, most discarded roundfish were consumed. Herring Gulls L. argentatus , Lesser Black-backed Gulls L. fuscus and Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla were rarely able to obtain offal or discards. Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls spent much time on the periphery of feeding flocks while Kittiwakes rarely attempted even to join these. Most of the birds at trawlers were in adult plumage, and it is suggested that the low proportion of immature birds present was a further reflection of the highly competitive feeding conditions at trawlers. We suggest that likely changes in fishing practice and seabird population sizes in the immediate future may result in Herring Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas finding feeding on waste around trawlers increasingly difficult, so they may be further displaced by Fulmars, Gannets and Great Black-backed Gulls.     

Interspecific kleptoparasitism in Audouin's Gull Lams audouinii at the Ebro Delta, northeast Spain: a behavioural response to low food availability

Kleptoparasitism of Audouin's Gull Lams audouinii on other seabirds, a foraging behaviour previously unrecorded for the species, was studied in the Ebro Delta, northeast Spain, during 1992. The relationship between kleptoparasitism and trawler activity was assessed through changes in the availability offish discards brought about by a trawling moratorium. When trawlers are not active, Audouin's Gulls use different feeding strategies, such as interspecific kleptoparasitism. Audoin's Gulls appeared to prefer to kleptoparasitize terns rather than gulls, but the success rate on gulls was higher. Most of the attacks rather than gulls, but the success rate on gulls was higher. Most of the attacks were performed by single Audouin's Gulls, although success per attack improved with group size. During the trawling moratorium, the existence of large seabird colonies in the Ebro Delta acted as a buffer for Audouin's Gull through kleptoparasitism, compensating partly for the reduced food supply.     

ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN RACE OF THE LITTLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER

Discriminant analysis functions have previously been determined for sexing Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls Larus michahellis michahellis from the western Mediterranean basin. However, data from eastern Mediterranean populations are lacking. In this work, we used morphometric data from a sample of 81 Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls (39 males and 42 females) breeding in the Gulf of Gabès in south-eastern Tunisia to (1) determine a discriminant function useful for sex discrimination, and (2) assess the accuracy of previously published functions in sexing Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls from our study area. Our results showed marked sexual differences in all morphological measurements, with males being significantly larger than females. The best discriminant function included head length, bill depth and wing length, and accurately classified 93% of sampled birds. We also found that Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gulls from the Gulf of Gabès could accurately be sexed using discriminant functions determined for another North African population, but not with a function determined for a South European population, although distances between sites are almost the same.     

The relationship between plankton-feeding Bonaparte's and Mew Gulls and tidal upwelling at Active Pass, British Columbia

The food habits of Bonaparte's (Larus Philadelphia) and MewGulls (L. canus) were studied at Active Pass, British Columbia,in relation to upwelling of zooplankton. Bonaparte's Gulls fedmostly on planktonic crustaceans during September-November andagain during April-May, while Mew Gulls foraged there chieflyin February and March. Both species ate predominantly the euphausiid,Thysanoessa raschii, in spring, while Bonaparte's Gulls fedmainly on the amphipods, Parathemisto pacifica and Calliopiuslaeviusculus, in fall. Year-round sampling of zooplankton andcollection of temperature and salinity data showed gull numbersto correlate with times of maximum upwelling and abundance ofzooplankton prey in surface waters. Outside the upwelling zonein Active Pass, Bonaparte's and Mew Gulls fed mostly on fishesand intertidal organisms, but also on zooplankton along tidelines.     

DIET OF HARTLAUB'S GULL LARUS HARTLAUBU AND THE KELP GULL L. DOMINICANUS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CAPE PROVINCE,SOUTH AFRICA

Steele, W.K. 1992. Diet of Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii and the Kelp Gull L. dominicanus in the southwestern Cape Province, South Africa. Ostrich 63:68-82.

Hartlaub's Larus hartlaubii and Kelp Gulls L. dominicanus in the southwestern Cape feed on a wide range of prey species. On average, Kelp Gulls feed on larger-sized prey than do the smaller Hartlaub's Gulls. In an undisturbed environment the preferred foraging habitats of Hartlaub's and Kelp Gulls are rocky shores and open, sandy beaches (where sand mussels Donax serra are common) respectively. However, as a result of man's activities, several new foraging habitats have become available including croplands, fishing harbours and refuse dumps. The provision of supplementary food at these new foraging habitats is likely to be the cause of a recent population increase. Kelp Gull chicks are fed predominantly “natural” prey which indicates that the population increase may not be due to enhanced reproductive success, but to improved post-fledging survival of juveniles, which are known to aggregate at sites where supplementary food is provided.     

MIGRATION AND DISPERSAL OF AUDOUIN'S GULL LARUS AUDOUINII FROM THE EBRO DELTA COLONY

Oro, D. & Martinez, A. 1994. Migration and dispersal of Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii from the Ebro Delta colony. Ostrich 65:225-230.

Migratory paths and dispersal patterns of Audouin's Gulls (Larus audouinii) born in the Ebro Delta have been studied, as well as their degree of philopatry. The gulls always disperse southwards from the colony, and only the juveniles seem to disperse in other directions. Dispersal patterns of 2y, 3y and older gulls are similar, wintering mainly on Iberian Mediterranean and Moroccan Atlantic coasts. Juveniles migrate before the rest of the age classes and they winter south of older gulls, in the Senegambia region. However, conclusions on Audouin's Gulls movements are difficult to draw, owing to the large differences in resighting and recovery efforts. Data presented also suggest that Audouin's Gulls do not appear to breed before the age of four years.     

FOOD SIZE AND AGGRESSIVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TWO SPECIES OF GULLS: AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO RESOURCE PARTITIONING

Duffy, D. C., Heseltine, S. & La Cock, G. D. 1987. Food size and aggressive interactions between two species of gulls: an experimental approach to resource partitioning. Ostrich 58: 164–167.

In feeding experiments with different sizes offish, Hartlaub's Gulls Larus hartlaubi reached prey first, but lost larger items to the larger, dominant Kelp Gull L. dominicanus. Hartlaub's Gulls took longer than Kelp Gulls to consume prey of the same size.     

Timing of primary moult in adult Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Summary Timing of primary moult in relation to the breeding cycle is presented for 113 actively moulting adult Herring Gulls and 79 Lesser Black-backed Gulls from Walney Island, England. Moult in both species occurred about when the eggs hatched in mid-May. The entire Herring Gull population began to moult the primaries within a period of 50 days. Lesser Black-backed Gulls started to moult 10 days later than Herring Gulls but many birds were not yet moulting as late as 5. August when I left the study area. It is suggested that the population of Lesser Black-backed Gulls consists of residents and migrants and that the former begin to moult earlier than the latter.

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Der zeitliche Ablauf der Handschwingenmauser von Silber- und Heringsmöwe

Zusammenfassung Bei 133 ad. Silber- und 79 ad. Heringsmöwen von Walney Island, England, wurde der Beginn der Handschwingenmauser in Beziehung zum Brutzyklus untersucht. Bei beiden Arten setzte die Mauser ungefähr Mitte Mai zum Zeitpunkt des Schlüpfens der Jungen ein. Alte Silbermöwen begannen innerhalb von 50 Tagen mit der Handschwingenmauser. Die Heringsmöwe fing etwa 10 Tage später an, doch hatten manche Individuen noch bis Anfang August nicht mit der Mauser begonnen. Die Heringsmöwen-Population auf Walney besteht vermutlich aus Stand- und Zugvögeln; erstere scheinen früher zu mausern.

     

Intermittent breeding in the Herring Gull Larus argentatus and the Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Thirty-three percent and 37% of adult Herring Gulls Larus argentatus and 34% and 40% of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus , all with some previous breeding experience, failed to breed in 1993 and 1994, respectively. About half of these intermittent breeders of both species failed to breed in both years. Common amongst the intermittent breeders were smaller individuals, birds with low survival chances and relatively unsuccessful breeders.     

COLONY DESERTION AND REPRODUCTIVE SYNCHRONY OF BLACK-BILLED GULLS LARUS BULLERI

Black-billed Gulls breeding in large dense colonies on river beds in New Zealand were found to have a high rate of colony desertion early in the nesting cycle. The hypothesis is developed that individuals faced with possible desertion after they have begun to nest can reduce the likelihood of being deserted by delaying their nesting activities until a large number of others is also ready to nest. This interpretation is developed into a graphic model to show that colony desertion can thereby produce a strong selection pressure favouring highly synchronized nesting. This model successfully predicts onset synchrony, subcolony formation, occurrence of complete colony desertions mainly early in the season, occurrence of partial colony desertions, and the existence of nester non-nester conflict over whether or not to desert. Unstable food appears to be the most likely cause of colony desertion in Black-billed Gulls. Black-billed Gulls are similar, in varying degrees to Sandwich, Royal and White-fronted Terns. Convergent traits include tendencies to occupy colonies rapidly and synchronously, reduced site tenacity, and the use of open and often unstable nesting habitats. The links described here between desertion and synchrony may be relevant for some other species.     

Reproduction and survival of Glaucous Gulls breeding in an Arctic seabird colony

ABSTRACT.   Despite being widespread and easily observed, little is known about the life history of Glaucous Gulls ( Larus hyperboreus ). From 1984 to 2007, we examined their breeding biology and demography at Coats Island, Nunavut, Canada, where they nest alongside a colony of 30,000 pairs of Thick-billed Murres ( Uria lomvia ). The gulls fed mainly on murre eggs and chicks and by scavenging adult carcasses. The median age at first breeding was 5 yr, and the mean age was 4.8 ± 0.9 yr. Adult survival was estimated as 0.84 ± 0.03 (SE). The mean clutch size was 2.56 eggs and the mean number of young reared per year was 1.6 (range = 0.9–2.2). Birds reared at the colony provided 40% of recruits. Assuming that survival of locally reared chicks that emigrated was similar to that of chicks that returned to the colony, about 22% of the young gulls survived to breeding age. The timing of breeding by Glaucous Gulls appeared related to the timing of laying by murres. Although the demographic characteristics of Glaucous Gulls in our study were similar to those of populations of other large gulls, adult survival was at the lower end of the range for populations of large Larus gulls. There is some evidence that Glaucous Gulls exhibit lower survival than large gulls breeding in temperate areas, possibly because of contaminant burdens. In general, however, the demographic characteristics of large gulls show little variation and are probably a product of their common phylogeny.     

Habitat selection and breeding success in Yellow-legged Gulls Larus cachinnans

The habitat selection and breeding performance of Yellow-legged Gulls Larus cachinnans were studied in the Medes Islands colony, northeastern Spain, during 1995 and 1996. Of the three main habitats on the islands (shrubs, grass and bare areas), gulls first occupied those with the highest percentage of tall vegetation. Gulls tended to select nest sites with 20–75% cover despite great differences in the cover in the habitats and territories, suggesting that the presence of a suitable nest site may play a major role in the choice of breeding habitat. Nest-site tenacity did not influence the preferences of gulls at any level since the same pattern of choice was observed in an area subjected to annual culls (i.e. where most of the breeding pairs were culled annually and replaced by naive birds). In spite of great differences in the physical characteristics of the habitats, little difference was found in breeding performance of the gulls between habitats. Gulls nesting in the least preferred habitat (i.e. mainly bare) had smaller clutches than those nesting in the other two habitats, possibly as a result of their later seasonal laying. Despite the similar breeding success in different habitats, gulls did not seem to distribute according to the ideal free model reported for Herring Gulls Larus argentatus since the density in the preferred habitat (i.e. shrubs) was never higher than in the other two. We suggest that the habitat selection by Yellow-legged Gulls within the colony could follow an ideal despotic distribution.     

An outbreak of type C botulism in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) in southeastern Sweden

From 2000 to 2004, over 10,000 seabirds, primarily Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), died from an undetermined cause in the Blekinge archipelago in southeastern Sweden. In June 2004, 24 affected Herring Gulls were examined clinically, killed humanely, and 23 were examined by necropsy. Seven and 10 unaffected Herring Gulls collected from a local landfill site and from Iceland, respectively, served as controls. All affected birds showed similar neurologic signs, ranging from mild incoordination and weakness to severe flaccid paralysis of legs and wings, but generally were alert and responsive. All affected gulls were in normal nutritional condition, but were dehydrated and had empty stomachs. No gross or microscopic lesions, and no bacterial or viral pathogens were identified. Type C botulinum toxin was detected in the sera of 11 of 16 (69%) affected gulls by mouse inoculation. Type C botulism was the proximate cause of disease in 2004. Sera from 31% of birds tested from outbreaks in 2000 to 2003 also had detectable type C botulinum toxin by mouse inoculation. No large-scale botulism outbreak has been documented previously in this area. The source of toxin, initiating conditions, and thus, the ultimate cause of this outbreak are not known. This epidemic might signal environmental change in the Baltic Sea.     

POPULATION SIZE,DISTRIBUTION AND DISPERSAL OF KELP GULLS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CAPE,SOUTH AFRICA

Steele, W.K. & Hockey, P.A.R. 1990. Population size, distribution and dispersal of Kelp Gulls in the southwestern Cape, South Africa. Ostrich 61:97-106.

There are indications that the Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus population of the southwestern Cape Province, South Africa, is increasing. It is proposed that decreased post-fledging mortality due to supplementary food from man's activities, at sites such as fishing harbours and refuse dumps, is likely to be the main cause of this population increase. Kelp Gulls aggregate, and juveniles (first-year birds) are disproportionately abundant, at sites where supplementary food is available. Juvenile dispersal from the two largest breeding colonies, 38 km apart, is in opposite directions.     

有关棕头鸥和遗鸥两近似种的分类与分布问题研究

本文根据近几年的野外观察结果并分析有关文献资料,系统地比较研究了棕头鸥和遗鸥两近似种的分类和分布现状,直接依据野外活体形态并对照系列标本对两种鸥的成、幼鸟和雏鸟的形态及野外临别特征给出了较精确的描述,澄清了这两种鸥以往在分类上的混淆有分布认识上的错位,同时从生态－动物、地理和行为学的角度对两种鸥的现有分布和今后分布态势的演进做了分析论证。     

High prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant genes and integrons in Escherichia coli isolates from Black-headed Gulls in the Czech Republic

AIMS: To carry out an assessment of the occurrence of resistance to antimicrobials in Escherichia coli that has been isolated from young Black-headed Gulls in three nesting colonies. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 257 isolates were tested for sensitivity to eight antibacterial substances by disk diffusion method. The polymerase chain reaction was used for detecting specific genes of antibacterial resistance and class 1 integrons in resistant E. coli isolates. A total 75 (29.9%) of 257 isolates were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. The dominant type of resistance was to tetracycline, detected in 49 (19.1%) isolates. Resistance to ampicillin was detected in 30 (11.7%), cephalothin in 11 (4.3%), streptomycin in 24 (9.3%), sulphonamides in 20 (7.8%) and chloramphenicol in 5 (1.9%) isolates. Nine isolates carrying integrons were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that young Black-headed Gulls are an important host reservoir of resistant E. coli strains, probably reflecting the presence of such strains in their sources of food and/or water. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Although Black-headed Gulls do not naturally come into contact with antibiotics, these birds can be infected with resistant E. coli and potentially serve as their reservoirs, vectors and bioindicators in the environment.     

遗鸥繁殖期新分布——内蒙古袄太湿地

2012年5月24日在内蒙古呼和浩特市袄太湿地观测到遗鸥(Larus relictus) 640只,包括285只坐巢个体.遗鸥集中分布在四个湖心岛上,仅利用高出水面20 ～ 50 cm左右的岛面营巢.此次发现属于我国遗鸥的新繁殖地.     

Nest predation and nest site selection among Eiders Somateria mollissima: the influence of gulls

Hooded Crows Corvus cornix, Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus and Herring Gulls L. argentatus were the main nest predators in an Eider population in southwest Sweden. The clutch sizes of Eider nests within gull colonies did not differ from those outside gull colonies. The proportion of Eider nests destroyed by predators was significantly lower within than outside gull colonies, especially on islands with Lesser Black-backed Gulls L. fuscus. Although the difference was not significant, the survival time of simulated Eider nests was higher within than outside gull colonies. On Eider islands with gull colonies, foraying crows spent more time within the colony area than expected by chance. However, crows apparently avoided an area around each gull nest, and we suggest that the colonies, to some extent, protected Eider nests against predation. The density of Eider nests was higher on gull islands than on gull- free islands, and higher within than outside the gull colonies. However, the association with gulls was weak compared to that displayed by some other waterfowl.