| American Herring Gull | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Larus |
| Species: | Larus smithsonianus |
The American Herring Gull or Smithsonian Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) is a common bird in the family Laridae. Though its taxonomy is still uncertain, most authorities consider it a separate species from the European Herring Gull.
Description[]
The American Herring Gull measures 25" (64 cm) in length and 58" (147 cm) in wingspan. The adult in breeding plumage is mostly white with a pale gray mantle and upperwings, black wingtips, pinkish legs and a yellow bill with a red spot. In winter, some brown streaking appears on the head and neck. The juvenile is mostly brown, with a black bill and iris. The second-winter bird is paler, with a light-coloured, black-tipped bill and a greyish-brown back. The subadult in third-winter plumage resembles the adult in winter, but with a black spot on the bill and brown markings on the body and wing coverts.
Behavior[]
This bird is versatile and opportunistic, adapting quickly to human presence and thriving where other species are threatened by human activity. It is gregarious, typically living in flocks, and often aggressive to other bird species.
Feeding[]
A hunter as well as a scavenger and kleptoparasite, the Herring Gull feeds on fish, molluscs, worms, crustaceans, small mammals, carrion, trash, eggs and hatchlings, even of its own species.