Hartlaubmöwe

Bestimmung

Hartlaub's gull is 36–38 cm in length. It is a mainly white gull with a grey back and upperwings, black wingtips with conspicuous white "mirrors", and a dark red bill and legs. When breeding it has a very faint lavender grey hood, but otherwise has a plain white head. Sexes are similar. This species differs from the slightly larger grey-headed gull in its thinner, darker bill, deeper red legs, paler, plainer head, and dark eyes. It takes two years to reach maturity. Juvenile birds have a brown band across the wings. They differ from same-age grey-headed gulls in that they lack a black terminal tail band, less dark areas in the wings, darker legs, and a white head.

Taxonomie

Gattung: Chroicocephalus; Familie: Laridae; Ordnung: Charadriiformes.

Wissenschaftlicher Name

Chroicocephalus hartlaubii

Autorität

(Bruch, 1855)

Ordnung

Regenpfeiferartige

Familie

Möwen (Laridae)

Gattung

Chroicocephalus

Verbreitung und Lebensraum

The gull is a non-migratory breeding resident endemic to the Atlantic Ocean coastline of South Africa and Namibia. Although it is predominantly coastal or estuarine, it is not a pelagic species, and is rarely seen at sea far from land. About one half of the total population, currently estimated at 30 000 birds, lives within the Greater Cape Town area. It has accommodated well to humans, and can become very tame around habitations. Although it is a relatively rare species, about the tenth rarest of the world's 50 or so gull species, it is common in its range and is widely regarded in Cape Town as a nuisance, fouling buildings and bathing in urban ponds. It has, at times, been a hazard to aircraft near airports.

Zugverhalten

Standvogel

Verhalten

Zugverhalten: Standvogel.

Schutzstatus

Bestandstrend: zunehmend.

Bestandstrend

zunehmend