Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mews, which is cognate with German Möwe, Danish måge, Swedish mås, Dutch meeuw, Norwegian måke/måse, and French mouette, and can still be found in certain regional dialects.
Gulls are typically medium to large in size, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet. Most gulls are ground-nesting carnivores which take live food or scavenge opportunistically, particularly the Larus species. Live food often includes crustaceans, mollusks, fish and small birds. Gulls have unhinging jaws which allow them to consume large prey. Gulls are typically coastal or inland species, rarely venturing far out to sea, except for the kittiwakes. The large species take up to four years to attain full adult plumage, but two years is typical for small gulls. Large white-headed gulls are typically long-lived birds, with a maximum age of 49 years recorded for the herring gull.
Gulls nest in large, densely packed, noisy colonies. They lay two or three speckled eggs in nests composed of vegetation. The young are precocial, born with dark mottled down and mobile upon hatching. Gulls are resourceful, inquisitive, and intelligent, the larger species in particular, demonstrating complex methods of communication and a highly developed social structure. For example, many gull colonies display mobbing behavior, attacking and harassing predators and other intruders. Certain species have exhibited tool-use behavior, such as the herring gull, using pieces of bread as bait with which to catch goldfish, for example. Many species of gulls have learned to coexist successfully with humans and have thrived in human habitats. Others rely on kleptoparasitism to get their food. Gulls have been observed preying on live whales, landing on the whale as it surfaces to peck out pieces of flesh.
Description and morphology
The Pacific gull is a large white-headed gull with a particularly heavy bill.Gulls range in size from the little gull, at 41⁄4 ounces and 111⁄2 inches, to the great black-backed gull, at 3 lb 14 oz and 30 in. They are generally uniform in shape, with heavy bodies, long wing, and moderately long necks. The tails of all but three species are rounded; the exceptions being Sabine's gull and swallow-tailed gulls, which have forked tails, and Ross's gull, which has a wedge-shaped tail. Gulls have moderately long legs, especially when compared to the similar terns, with fully webbed feet. The bill is generally heavy and slightly hooked, with the larger species having stouter bills than the smaller species. The bill color is often yellow with a red spot for the larger white-headed species and red, dark red or black in the smaller species.
The gulls are generalist feeders. Indeed, they are the least specialized of all the seabirds, and their morphology allows for equal adeptness in swimming, flying, and walking. They are more adept walking on land than most other seabirds, and the smaller gulls tend to be more maneuverable while walking. The walking gait of gulls includes a slight side to side motion, something that can be exaggerated in breeding displays. In the air, they are able to hover and they are also able to take off quickly with little space.
The general pattern of plumage in adult gulls is a white body with a darker mantle; the extent to which the mantle is darker varies from pale grey to black. A few species vary in this, the ivory gull is entirely white, and some like the lava gull and Heermann's gull have partly or entirely grey bodies. The wingtips of most species are black, which improves their resistance to wear and tear, usually with a diagnostic pattern of white markings. The head of a gull may be covered by a dark hood or be entirely white. The plumage of the head varies by breeding season; in non-breeding dark-hooded gulls, the hood is lost, sometimes leaving a single spot behind the eye, and in white-headed gulls, non-breeding heads may have streaking.
Distribution and habitat
The gulls have a worldwide cosmopolitan distribution. They breed on every continent, including the margins of Antarctica, and are found in the high Arctic as well. They are less common on tropical islands, although a few species do live on islands such as the Galapagos and New Caledonia. Many species breed in coastal colonies, with a preference for islands, and one species, the grey gull, breeds in the interior of dry deserts far from water. Considerable variety exists in the family and species may breed and feed in marine, freshwater, or terrestrial habitats.
To read a lot more about these birds, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gull
Most gull species are migratory, with birds moving to warmer habitats during the winter, but the extent to which they migrate varies by species. Some migrate long distances, like Franklin's gull, which migrates from Canada to wintering grounds in the south of South America. Other species move much shorter distances and may simply disperse along the coasts near their breeding sites.
- SERVES
- 10
- COOK TIME
- 40 Min
For an easy homemade dessert, tart and tangy Key lime juice adds instant flavor appeal to a store-bought lemon cake mix to create our yummy Key Lime Cake. This cake is a bit different from a classic Key Lime Pie, yet just as rich and enjoyable.
- 1 (18.25-ounce) package lemon cake mix
- 1 (4-serving size) package instant lemon pudding and pie filling
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup plus 3 teaspoons Key lime juice, divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, divided
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 cup Key lime juice, the vegetable oil, water, and 1 teaspoon lime zest; pour into prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Let cool 15 minutes then invert onto serving platter and cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and remaining lime juice; stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and sprinkle with remaining lime zest.
***If you can't find fresh Key limes or Key lime juice, regular limes and lime juice will work just fine.
The sale of life insurance in the U.S. began in the late 1760s. The Presbyterian Synods in Philadelphia and New York City created the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers in 1759.
On May 2, 1759, the charter recorded for the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers. Episcopalian priests created a comparable relief fund in 1769. Between 1787 and 1837, more than two dozen life insurance companies were started, but fewer than half a dozen survived.
Life insurance can do some pretty amazing things for people. It can buy loved one’s time to grieve. It can also pay off debts and loans, providing surviving family members with the chance to move on with a clean slate. Life insurance allows families to remain in their homes and pre-fund a child’s college education. When families own a business, life insurance will enable them to keep the business in the event of an untimely death. It also provides a stream of income for a family to live on for a period of time.
