Posts Tagged ‘Natural Prey’
Herring Gulls Mating
April 27, 2009: The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is well known along the shores of Asia, western Europe, and North America. The Herring Gull should not be confused with the Silver Gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae. The Herring Gull is called the silver gull in many other languages: German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, and Dutch zilvermeeuw). The Herring Gull, perhaps the most common and familiar gull of the northeastern United States and western Europe, is a large white-headed gull that inhabits shorelines of oceans, seas, lakes, and large rivers. The behavior and ecology of the Herring Gull are well studied, especially in Europe and Canada. Although this species is an opportunistic feeder, most individuals feed primarily on natural prey such as marine fishes and invertebrates. Studies from Europe and North America indicate that individual gulls specialize in their foraging and that choice of diet influences breeding performance. This species generally nests in colonies, often large ones; successful nesting appears to require sites near water and safe from terrestrial predation, sites such as islands, offshore rocks, or abandoned piers. This gull typically lays three-egg clutches in May, which generate fledged offspring by mid- to late July. Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: The Birds of North America – bna.birds.cornell.edu The location of this cam is on the most western island of the Wadden islands, Netherlands. The area where the Spoonbills nest is on the north-eastern coast of Texel, outside the dyke. Here is the link to a map, showing you the exact location: maps.google.nl Watch the live stream here: www.beleefdelente.nl
