Photo: Caleb Putnam · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5
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Gulls
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
A large gull with a pale gray mantle and black wingtips marked with white mirrors. Adults have pink legs and a yellow bill with a red gonydeal spot.
Current regional viewing notes
Hoonah harbor, coastal beaches, and fishing areas; less common than Glaucous-winged Gull but regularly seen in mixed flocks.
Dataset note: This legacy field can be specific to Southeast Alaska/Hoonah and is not a complete statewide range statement.
Habitat
Coastlines, harbors, landfills, lakes, and rivers.
Diet
Fish, marine invertebrates, insects, eggs, carrion, and refuse.
Natural history note
The red spot on a Herring Gull's bill serves as a target for chicks — they peck at it to stimulate the parent to regurgitate food.