THE NATURAL WORLD OF SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND THROUGH THE LENS OF CAPTAIN YVES-PART 26
Gulls are typically a medium to large bird and one that we are all very familiar with.
The harsh wailing or squawking calls remind us all of being near the beach and having to protect your food from any dive bombing gull that comes to close.
Prey items typically includes live animals such as crabs, small fish and some molluscs. However, they have been seen to take the catch of another animal from a different species or even the same!
Young Gulls are born with a dark mottled down as pictured hear which usually lasts for the first year or two before showing the typical white and black of Seagulls. Young are very mobile upon hatching.
Gulls have a unique ability to drink sea water as well as fresh water. Most animals would die if they drank salt water however, gulls have a set of glands just above the eye which helps them to flush out the salty impurities from their system. The excreted salt comes out through the nostril of the bird and runs down the beak dropping off back to the sea!