Slender-billed gull – Dunbekmeeuw – Chroicocephalus genei

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The slender-billed gull (Chroicocephalus genei) is a mid-sized gull which breeds very domestically across the Mediterranean and the north of the western Indian Ocean (e.g. Pakistan) on islands and coastal lagoons. A lot of the inhabitants is considerably migratory, wintering additional south to north Africa and India, and some birds have wandered to western Europe. A stray particular person was reportedly seen on Antigua, April 24, 1976.
The genus title Chroicocephalus is from Historic Greek khroizo, “to color”, and kephale, “head”. The precise genei commemorates Italian naturalist Giuseppe Gené.
This species is 37 to 40 cm (14.6 to fifteen.7 in) lengthy with a 90 to 102 cm (35.4 to 40.2 in) wingspan. It’s due to this fact barely bigger than the black-headed gull, which it resembles, though it doesn’t have a black hood in summer time. It has a pale gray physique, white head and breast and black tricks to the first wing feathers. The top and darkish purple invoice have an elongated tapering look, and this chook additionally seems long-necked. The legs are darkish purple, and the iris is yellow. In summer time, the breast has a faint pink colouration. This chook takes two years to achieve maturity, as is common in gulls. First yr immature birds have a black terminal tail band, and darkish areas on the wings.
The slender-billed gull breeds in lagoons and lakes across the Mediterranean Sea and in related places in nations bordering the northwestern a part of the Indian Ocean. In 2010 a profitable colony was discovered breeding on an island in a mountain lake in Algeria. The shortage of predators and disturbance allowed over 98% of the eggs to hatch. It overwinters on the coast in estuaries and bays. It feeds in deltas, marshes and grassland. It’s considered one of a variety of species of gull to feed on landfill websites.
About half of the slender-billed gull’s meals is fish. It flies a number of metres above the floor of the water and dives into the water when it sees appropriate prey. It additionally probes within the mud with its beak and feeds on marine invertebrates. It additionally catches bugs in flight.
This slightly unusual gull breeds in colonies, nesting on the bottom and laying as much as three brown-spotted white eggs in a scrape sparsely lined with feathers and bits of vegetation. Incubation takes about 25 days and the younger fly after one other 25 days. Like most gulls, it’s gregarious in winter, each when feeding and in night roosts. It’s not a pelagic species, and is never seen removed from land

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