HERRING GULL

CHARACTERISTICS: It is a large marine bird measuring between 55 and 60 centimetres in length. It has characteristic plumage with the upper half grey, the wing tips black and the rest white. The bill is yellow and the legs pink. The juveniles are brown in colour and take four years to achieve adult plumage.
DIET: It finds its food at the sea shore, although often it feeds on human waste and can often be found at the large number of rubbish dumps close to the coast.
REPRODUCTION: They breed in groups and build their nests from algae and other plants. They tend to nest on the ground but in some coastal towns they make their nests in roofs. They tend to return to the same reproduction sites each year. Laying an average of 3 eggs.
CURIOSITIES: Their number has increased exponentially in the last century due to the great adaptability. They eat anything. If they feel threatened close to their eggs or chicks, the parents form circles around them and emit a sharp and deafening squall.