Herring Gull in Flight
Herring Gull
Herring Gulls, like Smeagull the Seagull, have wings that are gray on top. They have a yellow beak and are white underneath.
Smeagull Says,
"Get the Facts"
From early spring through summer their heads are pure white. Fall and winter, their heads are speckled with brown.
Herring Gull Perched
Herring Gull Preening
Herring Gull Diving for Crabs
Herring Gull in Snow, in Winter Plumage
Herring Gull with Spider Crab
Great Black-backed Gull in Flight
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Black-backed Gulls have wings that are black on top. Like Herring Gulls, the have a yellow beak and are white underneath.
Smeagull Says,
"Get the Facts"
Great Black-backed Gulls are bigger and heavier than Herring Gulls
Great Black-backed Gull Showing Red Spot
Great Black-backed Gull Plunge-diving for Spider Crabs
Great Black-backed Gull with Skate
Great Black-backed Gull Flock in Flight
Smeagull Says,
"Get the Facts"
Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls have a red spot at the tip of there beaks. When they have babies in the nest, the adults swallow food and bring it back to them. Their babies touch or grasp the red spot, and the adult regurgitates the food they are carrying for the babies to eat.
Osprey with Flounder
Osprey
Osprey wings look mostly black underneath with some white and on top the wings look pretty much all black. Actually, up close, all that black is a very dark brown. Osprey are large birds (their wingspan, wingtip to wingtip, can be nearly 6 feet) and… they can hover.
Smeagull Says,
"Get the Facts"
When Osprey hover high above the water they are looking for fish and when they spot a fish that is the right size and close enough to the surface, they fold up their wings and dive in, feet first.
Osprey Hovering High Above the Water
Osprey Returns to the Nest with Menhaden
Common Tern Flock
Common Tern
Common Terns have wings that are gray on top and white underneath. They have red beaks and red feet and black caps on their heads. And like Osprey, they hover when trying to spot a fish except terns hover much closer to the water.
Common Tern with Sand Lance, Falkner Island
Common Tern Close-up
Common Tern Flock
Smeagull Says,
"Get the Facts"
Osprey catch fish with the sharp talons on their feet. Terns catch fish with their beaks. Because Osprey catch larger fish they always carry them to a perch to eat. Terns catch fish small enough to swallow whole, right then and there. However, if you see a Tern in flight with a fish dangling from its beak, chances are there are hungry babies in the nest waiting to be fed.
