Short abstract from the book: The herring gull is a common breeding bird in Denmark with
an estimated population of almost 60,000 breeding pairs. It
is furthermore a very common winter visitor from November
to March. In Denmark the first herring gull was ringed in
1911, with the majority ringed in the 1960s and ’70s and
the 1990s. Forty-three per cent of the recovered birds were
ringed in Jutland, 18 % on Funen, 18 % on Zealand, 4 % on
Lolland-Falster and 12 % on Christiansø. The majority of the
recovered birds belong to the Danish population ringed either
as chicks (88 %) or as adults in the breeding season.
Part of the Danish herring gull population is migratory.
The first birds have been recovered outside Denmark in July,
but in this month 74 % are still found less than 5 km from
the ringing site. In August this proportion is 38 % and in
September 14 %. During autumn most gulls migrate SW,
but the direction is not very concentrated. In winter most
Danish birds have been recovered in Denmark (47 %),
Germany (39 %), the Netherlands (8 %) and Sweden (2 %).
In 1990–2002 the mean position during winter was further
south than previously – an explanation could be that birds
today must migrate further south to find open waste tips. The
mature herring gulls return to the breeding sites in April.
Many herring gulls born in Denmark have been found in
neighbouring countries in the breeding season. Outside the
breeding season, gulls from Norway, Sweden, Finland, the
Baltic countries and northwest Russia are common visitors
in Denmark. Norwegian birds are most frequently found in
Jutland, and Swedish, Finnish and Baltic birds in Zealand.
Most birds from the north coast of the Kola Peninsula have
been found in Jutland, which indicates that they follow the
coast of Norway. Gulls from the White Sea probably migrate
via the Baltic Sea.
The main known cause of death is hunting. Eighty-nine per
cent have been shot in Denmark, mainly in August–October.
The proportion reported as shot has declined since the 1960s.
Read more about the species in the chapter from The Danish Bird Migration Atlashere
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