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European Herring Gull

Though you might assume these seabirds drink from the sea, herring gulls actually prefer freshwater! However, in its absence will drink sea water. To help them process this, they have special glands in their eyes that help eject the salt from their bodies. 

 

European herring gulls tend to live and breed in coastal areas throughout Eurasia and North America — generally only living inland in small numbers and typically near bodies of water. Favoring to nest in colonies, they can be very protective of their territory within the colony. And while these birds have no song to sing, they aren’t lacking communication skills! Instead, they have a complex system of anywhere between 8-15 calls that they use to communicate. 

Herring gulls have a familiar appearance with their white and grey coloring and yellow bills. Multiple closely-related gulls also share similar characteristics, so species are likely to be confused for each other to the untrained eye!  

They are also opportunistic omnivores eating marine invertebrates, fishes, and insects. They’re even known to prey on other seabirds and to be scavengers of dead animals and garbage. Herring gulls often flock together when food has been located and have been seen following whales and fishing boats hoping to snag a bite.  

 

 

While the IUCN Red List classifies the European herring gull as a species of least concern, their population is believed to be declining. These seabirds are at risk of food shortages as fishing practices change. They — along with other gulls — may also be increasingly at risk of ingesting plastic pollution as human activity increases in the Arctic. They also face threats of being accidentally caught as bycatch, as well as by coastal oil pollution and disease (primarily bird flu and botulism).  

 

 

Oceana campaigns to tackle the plastic pollution crisis at the source — by advocating for the reduction in plastic production and promoting refill and reuse systems — as well as protecting our climate by stopping the expansion of offshore drilling. Learn more about our campaigns and how you can get involved.  

 

 

 

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