A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



The black-headed gull is one of the prettiest 

 birds to watch on the wing, whilst its guttural 

 laughing cry has gained for it the specific 

 name of ridibundus. The Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull (Larus fuscus) is another well- 

 known bird. In this as in other species of 

 gulls the young differ greatly from the adult 

 birds, so that the novice may fail to re- 

 cognize them. 



The lesser black-backs are both robbers 

 and fighters, and levy severe toll upon the 

 eggs of the other sea-birds. They are 

 gregarious birds and during the breeding 

 season congregate in huge numbers, the 

 largest British Colony being on the Fame 

 Isles. 



The great Black-backed Gull (Larus 

 marinus) is now a rarish bird in Britain. 

 Its habits are similar to those of the lesser 

 black-backed, but it is more oceanic 

 and has been described as the " vulture 

 of the sea." 



Besides these gulls, the Ivory gull (Pago- 

 phila eburnea) is an occasional straggler to 

 the British coast ; this bird is a circumpolar 

 inhabitant of the Arctic Seas, but wanders 

 into temperate regions during the winter, 

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