BIOLOGY - GULLS
Appearance
Herring Gull
Breeding
Food: fish, marine invertebrates, carrion, refuse. Prefer local food but will fly up to 25 miles to landfills, farmland, sewage outlets. Great BB also feed on small birds. Common and Black Headed also eat insects and earthworms.
Kittiwakes nesting
Feeding
Nest in colonies using same site year after year. Herring and Lesser BB will nest on roofs; Kittiwakes on precipitous ledges. Breeding May to Aug N. Europe.
Great BB 2-3 eggs, mainly June; 27 day incubation
Lesser BB 3 eggs, mainly May to June; 25 day incubation
Herring 3 eggs, mainly May to June; 26 day incubation
Common 3 eggs, mainly June; 25 day incubation
Black-Headed 2-3 eggs, mainly June; 22 day incubation
Kittiwake1-3 eggs, mainly June; 27 day incubation
It takes 2 to 4 years to acquire adult plumage. Long lived e.g. Herring breed at 5 yrs, live up to 25yrs
