Image description
The image shows a seabird, medium in size, smaller than an albatross, being close to the size of the duck, called a seagull, with a curved and flattened body, oval, finished with a slightly elongated and narrow tail, with pointed wings towards the tip, and thin, which helps these birds to keep the body flying in the air for a long time.
It has a round head, facing to the left, with a short and thick neck, a long, robust beak with pointed arch tip, and small, round eyes.
The body is balanced on two short legs finished in large paws.
The seagull in the picture, viewed from the side, has the wing rendered by a wavy texture, the eye highlighted by an embossed circle, and the whole body rendered full in relief.
Near it, on the left side, there is a fish, being the main food of this seabird.
The fish have scales on its surface, rendered by a wavy texture, with a short wing marked embossed, like the mouth, the fan-shaped tail and the fin on the back.
Additional information
The seagulls are part of the family Laridae. They are close to other birds living near the water. There are over 30 species of seagulls.
The seagull is a medium to large bird that can measure 68-85 centimeters. The beak is elongated and hooked, and the feet are webbed. The large species take up to four years to reach adulthood, but two years is typical for small gulls.
The seagull is a carnivorous bird that feeds directly from the sea or will hunt among the remains. The food most often includes crabs and small fish. Many species of seagulls have learned to co-exist successfully with humans and have thrived in human habitats. Other species of seagull have begun to steal the prey of others in order to survive.
Most seagulls build their nests on the roof of tall buildings, the main reason being the availability of food, from the people who feed them and from the garbage.
Seagulls – the larger species in particular – are highly intelligent birds, demonstrating complicated methods of communication and a highly developed social structure. Certain species have exhibited tool-use behavior.
Hybridisation between species of seagull occurs quite frequently, although to varying degrees depending on the species involved
Eggs are laid from early May onwards with two or three being the usual number. The eggs take about three weeks to hatch so the first chicks are generally seen about the beginning of June.
The chicks grow quickly and are quite active, which means they will leave the nest quickly. If they return, the chicks will be fed by their parents. The seagull will be completely covered by feathers in August but it will take 3 years until it reaches maturity. The life expectancy of the seagulls is 20 years. Seagulls are social creatures and once roof nesting gets a hold, others will come and build nests on adjacent buildings until their numbers build up sufficiently that a colony is established.
They are very careful birds with their chicks. Both males and females do the same when it comes to hatching eggs, feeding and protecting chicks. The young birds will be watched by a few mature males. They will play, fight, and learn the tricks they need to survive. They will stay with the other birds until they are able to mate. They will eat or try to eat just about anything. This explains why they can be found in all parts of the world. Seagulls can learn, remember and transmit behaviors. They are capable of mimicking rainfall on the ground to cause the earthworms to surface. They have a small claw on their foot to prevent them from falling when they are on narrow surfaces. Seagulls are able to drink salt water because they have a pair of glands near the eyes designed to remove salt from ingested water. Both male and female have the same color as the plume, the only difference being that the male is larger and has a thicker neck.
The European herring gull is the best known species of seagull along the shore of the European seas. During the hatching period, some European herring gulls become ,,cannibal”’, eating the eggs and chickens of the companion species.
Bibliography
- Zoo.ro, available online at http://www.zoo.ro/pescarus, accessed on October 18, 2019
2. All Animals, available online at https://www.toateanimalele.ro/pasari/pescarusul-pasare-familia-laridae/, accessed on October 18, 2019.
