Herring-Gull — Larus Argentatus
Bill yellow; legs and feet flesh-colour; mantle grey; head, tail, and lower parts white; outer primaries black. Length, twenty-four inches.
The herring-gull, which derives its name from its habit of following the shoals of herrings, is common on our coasts throughout the year. Like most gulls, it searches the shore at ebb-tide for stranded marine animals, dead and alive, and garbage of all kinds. It quarrels with ravens and crows over the carcass of a dead sheep, and, like the raven, is a plunderer of eggs and young birds from the cliffs. It is often seen at a distance from the sea, roaming over the moors in search of prey or carrion; and it also feeds on insects and, like the black-headed gull, sometimes follows the plough to pick up worms and grubs. It nests on precipitous, rocky shores, usually making choice of the summit or upper ledges. It also breeds on flat islands, sometimes in company with the lesser black-backed gull, which it resembles in size and general appearance. It usually breeds in communities, but is not so strictly gregarious as most gulls at this season. The nest, which is usually somewhat bulky, is composed of seaweed and herbage, and lined with dry grass. Three eggs are laid, stone-colour or light olive-brown, spotted and blotched with dark umber.