got into an argument with my uncle today about birdwatching and gulls, and he said something SO wrong that i nearly shit myself there in rage while sitting in the car staring at a mixed flock of gulls
apparently he thinks there’s only two kinds of gull on the cape, and that they’re boring to watch, which is BULLSHIT
you want something nearly as smart as a corvid? get a fucking gull, especially a herring gull because they are the problem solvers of the seabird crew
plus cape cod has not two, but ELEVEN kinds of gull available over the course of the year, and i shall present them here (in summer plumage admittedly just cos theyre so pretty that way)
The Herring Gull- your bog standard gull, pale gray mantle, dark sooty gray ends of the primaries, red speck on underside of bill, legs and feet pink save for a few individuals who present with yellow legs, expect this fucker to coordinate with his buddies to steal your sandwich and then act smug as shit about it immediately afterward
The Lesser Black-Backed Gull- halfway between a herring gull and a greater black backed, note much darker mantle and yellow legs, generally around the same size as a herring gull and just as bastardy. mostly in europe but has been invading our shores with their speed metal and weird dress sense
Greater Black-Backed Gull- literally the fighter pilots of the shores, fuckoff huge and while not as bastardy to humans as the herring gull and lesser black backed, will happily predate on small gulls and their chicks and rob other gulls of their catches
Ring-Billed Gull- smaller than a herring gull, note ring on bill and terribly intent expression, will work with herring gulls to snag yr sandwich
Glaucous Gull- colored kind of like a bleached herring gull, not terribly common, note the lack of dark primaries, about the size of a greater black backed
Icelandic Gull- basically a smaller version of the Glaucous, also not common
Laughing Gull- common as dirt in the summer, have a really obnoxious call, note the white eye ring, red bill and legs, black face, and coloring otherwise like a herring gull, kind of the leggy blond cheerleader of the gull crew cos they’re more delicately built and look all exotic and fancy when they’re really not
Little Gull- similar to laughing gull superficially but lacks eye ring, beak is black, legs are orange, and it’s a lot smaller and less of a pain in the ass, doesn’t show up often probs cos laughing gulls are the obnoxious cousins they don’t want to invite over for dinner
Bonaparte’s Gull- again, similar to laughing gull but bill black, legs orange, head only partially black instead of all the way down to the neck, primaries are kinda nifty stripey, again, kinda rare
Common Black-Headed Gull- the face (or hood) is dark brown instead of black, note white eye ring and bits around beak, kinda stubbier than other gulls like this but the beak is slenderererererererer, pretty uncommon
Black-Legged Kittiwake- tiny. adorable. highly pelagic (prefers open ocean). note black legs and pale yellow bill. uncommon, and is basically food for the greater black-backed gull cos ~the circle of liiiiife~
anyhow gulls are gr9 and i like them a lot
