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Herring gulls and mew gulls in field

 

 

 

When we see such a view in fields the birds with similar plumages seem to be of quite different sizes. Mew gulls are about half the size of herring gulls. It is particularly difficult to distinguish between the young birds by their plumage, which is  mottled in brown. The plumage of young birds develops to become wholly similar to that of adult birds only in their fourth year. But the two species keep busy together and in a quite friendly way.

 

Let us look a little more closely at the smaller ones, there is opportunity for this both on the coast and inland. Mew gulls have a body length of over 40 centimetres, the weight is around half a kilo and the wing span about one meter. The body length of herring gulls is up to 15 centimetres more, the weight is two-three times more, male birds are larger, and the wingspan of larger specimens may reach one and a half metres.

 

In summary they have similar plumages, mew gulls are smaller than herring gulls, with a rounder head and thinner beak. In winter plumage adult birds have head and throats with dark grey streaks, quite well visible in Arne’s photo.

 

In flight we notice the black wing tips of mew gulls. The wing covering feathers of second winter young birds are already bluish grey, elsewhere still a mottled plumage.

 

The beak and legs of adult birds are greenish yellow, eyes red with dark brown iris. The beak of young birds is horn-coloured with a black tip, and the eye colour has not yet changed to red.

They feed on small fish and invertebrates in shore areas. With bad weather they move towards the wintering grounds until the end of November. Depending on the winter some thousand birds and upwards winter here.