Silver Gull
Encyclopedia
The Silver Gull also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull
seen in Australia
. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South Africa
n Hartlaub's Gull
(C. hartlaubii) and the New Zealand
Red-billed Gull
(C. scopulinus) were formerly sometimes considered to be subspecies
of the Silver Gull. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus
Larus
but is now placed in the genus Chroicocephalus
.
The Silver Gull should not be confused with the Herring Gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German
Silbermöwe, French
Goéland argenté, Dutch
zilvermeeuw) but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range.
The Silver Gull has a sharp voice consisting of a variety of calls. "The most common call is a harsh 'kwee-aarr'."
Juveniles have brown patterns on their wings, and a dark beak. Adults have bright red beaks—the brighter the red, the older the bird.
Silver gulls are found in all states of Australia. It is a common species, having adapted well to urban environments and thriving around shopping centres and garbage dumps.
Silver Gulls have twice been recorded in the USA; one bird was shot in August 1947 at the mouth of the Genessee River, Lake Ontario
and another one was photographed in Salem County, New Jersey
, in autumn 1996. Both are nowadays believed to have escaped from captivity (AOU
, 2000).
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
seen in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Hartlaub's Gull
Hartlaub's Gull
The Hartlaub's Gull or King Gull, is a small gull, which is a non-migratory breeding resident endemic to the Atlantic Ocean coastline of South Africa and Namibia. Although it is predominantly coastal or estuarine, it is not a pelagic species, and is rarely seen at sea far from land...
(C. hartlaubii) and the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Red-billed Gull
Red-billed Gull
The Red-billed Gull , once also known as the Mackerel Gull, is a native of New Zealand, being found throughout the country and on outlying islands including the Chatham Islands and Sub-antarctic islands.The Māori name of this species is Tarapunga or Akiaki...
(C. scopulinus) were formerly sometimes considered to be subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Silver Gull. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Larus
Larus
Larus is a large genus of gulls with worldwide distribution . Many of its species are abundant and well-known birds in their ranges...
but is now placed in the genus Chroicocephalus
Chroicocephalus
Chroicocephalus is a genus of medium to relatively small gulls which were once included in the genus Larus. Some authorities also include the Saunders's Gull in Chroicocephalus...
.
The Silver Gull should not be confused with the Herring Gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific name Larus argentatus, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Silbermöwe, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Goéland argenté, Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
zilvermeeuw) but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range.
The Silver Gull has a sharp voice consisting of a variety of calls. "The most common call is a harsh 'kwee-aarr'."
Description
The head, body and tail are white. The wings are light grey with white spotted, black tips. Adults range from 40–45 cm in length. Mean wing span is 94 cm.Juveniles have brown patterns on their wings, and a dark beak. Adults have bright red beaks—the brighter the red, the older the bird.
Distribution and habitat
Silver Gulls have twice been recorded in the USA; one bird was shot in August 1947 at the mouth of the Genessee River, Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
and another one was photographed in Salem County, New Jersey
Salem County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 64,285 people, 24,295 households, and 17,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 190 people per square mile . There were 26,158 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
, in autumn 1996. Both are nowadays believed to have escaped from captivity (AOU
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
, 2000).