Silver Gull
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| Silver Gull | ||||||||||||||
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 Adult
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| Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, 1826 |
The Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae) also known simply as "seagull" in Australia, is the most common gull seen in Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly coastal areas. The South African Hartlaub's Gull (Larus hartlaubii) and the New Zealand Red-billed Gull (Larus scopulinus) were formerly sometimes considered to be subspecies of the Silver Gull.
The Silver Gull should not be confused with the Herring Gull, which is called "silver gull" in many other languages (scientific Latin Larus argentatus, German Silbermöwe, French Goéland argenté, Dutch zilvermeeuw) but is a much larger, robust gull with no overlap in range. It has a sharp voice consisting of a variety of calls.
It is a common species, having adapted well to urban environments and thriving around shopping centres and garbage dumps.
Silver Gulls have twice been recorded in the USA: One bird was shot in August 1947 at the mouth of the Genessee River, Lake Ontario. Another one was photographed in Salem County, New Jersey, in autumn 1996. Both are nowadays believed to have escaped from captivity (AOU 2000).
 Juvenile (first winter) |
 Adult |
 Immature, in flight |
 A group in flight |
 Adult Silver Gull in SE Queensland |
[edit] References
- American Ornithologists' Union (AOU) (2000): Forty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 117(3): 847–858. DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2000)117[0847:FSSTTA]2.0.CO;2
- BirdLife International (2004). Larus novaehollandiae. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Harrison, Peter (1988): Seabirds (2nd ed.). Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
- Pizzey, Graham & Knight, Frank (1997): The field guide to the birds of Australia:224. Harper & Collins, Pymble, N.S.W.. ISBN 0-207-18013-X
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