A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Larus argentatus
It is a noisy bird and opportunistic, and one of the most widespread and adaptable gulls in the Northern Hemisphere.
Lives in rocky shores, found in harbors and estuaries.
Some years ago an in-depth study was made of Herring Gulls using DNA. The results showed that there was very little in common between all the different races (sub-species) of Herring Gull. The result was that many of the Gulls have been split away from the Herring Gull and become new species in their own right. This was effective by 2006. The current situation is that the Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is now only found in the Atlantic south to the Bay of Biscay and on North Sea coasts. In the southern part of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean it has been replaced by what is currently known as Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis. As its name suggests this is the main visible difference between the two species, the Herring Gull normally having pinkish legs. Unfortunately we cannot see the legs in this photo but based on the location that you have given it is almost certainly a Yellow-legged Gull. If you can recall the leg colour, or better still, have another photo showing the legs which you could add to the spotting that would clinch it.
I will add the details as a suggestion anyway.
you can post it in missions like: Birds of the World and Urban Biodiversity
http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/5033...
http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/3501...
Spotted on May 31, 2012
Submitted on May 31, 2012
+2
