Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Small gray gull with red legs. Adult has red bill (younger birds have a darker bill), white head and body, pale gray "silver" wings, which have prominent black and white tips. Abundant across much of New Zealand and coastal Australia, including inland areas around waterways and rivers.
Identification
The head, body, and tail of an adult silver gull are white, and the wings are light grey with white-spotted, black tips. Adults range from 40–45cm (15-17 Inches) in length. Their wingspan ranges from 271 to 314mm (10-12 Inches). Adults have bright red beaks which gets brighter during breeding or when they get older.<p>Juveniles have brown patterns on their wings, and a dark beak.
Taxonomy
It has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus, as is the case with many gulls, but is now placed in the genus Chroicocephalus. Hartlaub's gull (C. hartlaubii) of South Africa was formerly sometimes considered to be subspecies of the silver gull.<p>There are three subspecies:
- Scientific name
- Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
- Authority
- (Stephens, 1826)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Chroicocephalus
Range and habitat
Silver gulls are found in all states of Australia, as well as New Zealand and New Caledonia. It is a common species, having adapted well to urban environments and thriving around shopping centres and garbage dumps. Their successful adaption to urban habitats have seen their population increase in areas of human activity, with the availability of nesting grounds the only limiting factor on population growth.<p>Silver gulls have twice been recorded in the United States; one bird was shot in August 1947 at the mouth of the Genesee River, Lake Ontario, and another was photographed in Salem County, New Jersey, in autumn 1996. Both are believed to have escaped from captivity.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
The silver gull has a sharp voice consisting of a variety of calls. The most common call is a harsh, high pitched 'kwarwh'.<p>The silver gull naturally feeds on worms, fish, insects and crustaceans. It is a successful scavenger, allowing increased numbers near human settlements. It is known to pester humans for scraps and steal unattended food.<p>Breeding occurs from August to December, typically in large colonies on offshore islands. The nest is located on the ground and consists of seaweed, roots, and plant stems. The nests may be found in low shrubs, rocks and jetties. Typical clutch size is one to three eggs. Often two broods are raised in a year, and both adults share nest-building, incubation and feeding.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Black-browed Albatross
Thalassarche melanophris
A common and widespread albatross of the southern oceans; often seen from shore and ferries. Like other albatrosses, often scavenges at fishing boats. All plumages white-headed, often obvious at long distance (black brow only visible at close range). Adult has orange-yellow bill, brighter at the tip and thick black irregular underwing margins; 1st-year has dusky bill with black tip and solidly blackish underwings; mostly like adult in 3 years.
Schneider's Pitta
Hydrornis schneideri
Large-headed and long-legged, this rare and rotund Sumatran endemic is found only in foothill forests between 900 to 2400 meters (typically in the upper half), where it is most easily detected by its strange song, a spaceship-like “oowOOOOwooWOOH.” Male has a sky-blue back and incomplete black collar, while the female has a dull brownish back and a dull blue tail. Both sexes have a rich cinnamon crown and nape, as well as a dark line extending behind the eye. Juvenile is strange-looking, with white spots on the crown, wings, and breast. Forages quietly on the forest floor, either singly or in pairs.
Imitator Sparrowhawk
Tachyspiza imitator
A medium-sized black-and-white sparrowhawk with an entirely black back, chest, and hood and a white underside. Prefers dense forest interiors up to 1000 meters of elevation. Very similar to Pied Goshawk, but prefers less open habitats and has a black throat. In flight, Imitator Sparrowhawk has a thick dark rear edge to the underwing, compared to Pied Goshawk’s relatively white underwing. Imitator’s voice is relatively poorly known, but apparently vocally similar to other goshawks; a series of loud piercing whistles has been reported.
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