Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Sølvmåge

Sølvmåge

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 Atlas here

Ringing data for Herring Gull

 
Datavisning: genmeldinger    genmeldinger/mærkninger    mærkninger
Sæson: alle    vinter    forår    sommer    efterår
Periode: alle    før 2003    2003 og frem    seneste 365 dage


Data

Birds ringed
Birds ringed 117.420
Ringed as chicks 256 (0,2%)
Recoveries
No. of recoveries 19360
No. of individuals 0
Proportion recovered 0,0%