Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Shane Spencer
Some rights reserved

Herring gulls are not a solitary species, preferring to nest in colonies. However, they do carefully protect their chosen territory within a colony. Social hierarchies among herring gulls vary; adults are usually dominant over juvenile gulls and, while females prevail regarding choice of nest site, males may dominate females regarding feeding and boundary conflicts.

Herring gull pairs return to their same nesting site for so long as the male is alive and has not deserted the female.

Herring gull chicks and juveniles “play” by carrying around objects and engaging in tug-of-war games.

Herring gulls often develop individual preferences for food and feeding techniques. (Canadian Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Federation, 2008; Pierotti and Good, 1994)

Home Range

Herring gulls usually forage within 20 kilometers, but up to 100 kilometers, from their colony; this home range is dependent on location of preferred food sources. (Pierotti and Good, 1994)

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information

Animal Diversity Web
 
Shane Spencer
Some rights reserved

Herring gulls have no song, but have a complex system of anywhere from 8 to perhaps 15 calls; two are used by nestlings and another three are used only by breeding adults.

Various calls serve to identify returning partners, demonstrate aggression, warn the colony of predators, and to dispute territory with neighboring gulls.

When males are disputing territory, they may pull at grass with their beaks as part of their demonstration.

Chicks begin making begging calls to demand food upon hatching; the call grows more intense as they grow and by 5 weeks of age, a chick begs by lifting its head with each peep and holding its head hunched against its body. When chicks are pursued, they emit a shrill waver. The begging call and shrill waver exhibited by chicks are both similar to noises that adult gulls make. Chicks also peck at the red spot on their parent's bills in order to stimulate food regurgitation. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2003; Pierotti and Good, 1994)