Two northwoods gulls

by KEVIN STRAUSS

While some people call the white and gray aquatic birds in the northland “seagulls” that common name is a little misleading. First off, we are nowhere near the sea, even if you consider Lake Superior an “inland sea.” What’s more, we have two different kinds of “lake gulls” here in the north: the herring gull (Larus argentatus) and the ring-bill gull (Larus delawarensis).

Herring gulls are the most common species. They are larger than ring-bills, 25 inches long, and have pink legs and yellow bills with a red spot on the lower mandible (beak jaw). They have gray backs and wings and black wingtips and white heads and bellies. Herring gulls live here during the summer and then migrate to the open water of Lake Superior and Wisconsin in the winter.

Ring-bill gulls are smaller and less common than the herring gulls. At only 17 1/2 inches long, they are similar in size to crows. They have yellow legs and a yellow bill with a black “ring” near the tip. Ring-bills are much seem to be almost absent in the Boundary Waters area, but you can find them on Burntside Lake and Lake Vermilion during the summer. They migrate to Iowa, Illinois and Missouri in fall.

Most gulls aren’t picky eaters. Scientists call them “generalists” who feed on whatever is around, including carrion, garbage, dead fish, live fish and other food sources. Herring gulls are the consummate scavengers, cruising landfills, picnic areas and the dumpsters behind fast food restaurants so scarf up french fries and hamburger bun pieces. But they will also do some real hunting, catching small fish in the water. When food is plentiful, gulls can eat up to one-third of their body weight in food, showing that they are no slouches when it comes to swallowing the calories.

Starting in the late 1500’s, people used the term “gullible” to denote a person who would believe (swallow) anything, no matter how outlandish a lie might be. It seems an apt metaphor considering that a gull will swallow just about anything for food, including another gull’s stray chicks. Food is food to gulls, it doesn’t much matter where they find it.

In addition to seeing these gulls nesting in the area, you might also see them migrating through. Member of both species fly over the northland to breeding areas in southern Canada.

Of course, the main reason that gulls seem so common in some areas is that humans provide ample food for them in our garbage and leftover fish waste. Perhaps it is a good thing that this flying cleanup crew is around to help us out.