You are here

Behaviors of Herring and Black-Backed Gulls

Submitted by ddoyleperkin on Wed, 02/06/2019 - 15:24

Herring gulls and Black-backed gulls are two separate species of seagull that live side by side, exhibiting a wide variety of identical behaviors that allow them to communicate during significant times in their lives. These gulls breed in close quarters on coastal islands in the North Atlantic. Because of the proximity to one another, these seagulls have had to develop intricate ways of communicating with one another in order to successfully court mates, breed, nurture young, and survive. It is important to understand that animals send signals with the understanding that they will receive a response. There are three main categories of gull signaling behaviors: territoriality/aggression, parental care, and courtship. When it is a question of territoriality, gulls will always prefer to signal before engaging in aggression. One such signal is known as upright posture, which is an extension of the gull’s back and the slight spread of its wings. Upright posture is a threat display used by gulls to maintain or negotiate territory in their close-knit colonies. This display is used most often right after chicks hatch, in an effort to solidify their territory to protect their young. However, before chicks can hatch, gulls must court mates. To begin courtship, females will fly around the colony and assess the fitness of males from the air. When they find a suitable male, they will land in his territory and immediately assume one very important behavior: begging. The begging behavior is learned as a chick to ask their parents for food, but females use it during courtship to gain the trust of the unfamiliar male. This behavior is characterized by an outstretching of the neck upwards, directly into the face of the male. During this time, the female is literally asking the male for food. If the male complies and gives the female food, their pairing begins. Once gulls are paired, they establish their territory, establish a nest, and begin copulation. Copulation begins by using the same behavior that the chicks and the female once used; the begging behavior. The female gull will exhibit this begging behavior until the male agrees to copulate. The male will then stand on the back of the female and begin mating. The mating ritual is an interesting one because the male gull will use a behavior only seen during this time. Once mating has begun, the male will elicit what is known as a mating call; a unique sound that can only be heard during the mating season. The upright posture, begging, and mating call are among many important behaviors that these gulls must use to communicate, care for their young, and stay alive.

Post: