12-18 



niombers of canvasbacks would be observed in New Haven. The highest 

 total yearly count for this study was 439 in 1972. 



Gulls 



Herring gulls , the most nimierous gull species , were observed 

 throughout the year in New Haven Harbor. A recent study by Drury and 

 Nisbet (1972) revealed that herring gulls breed in the eastern United 

 States from Long Island Sound to New Brunswick, in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence and eastern Canada. Adults from the northern breeding colonies 

 may migrate to winter in New England while young from all areas may 

 migrate further south. During the breeding season some birds are 

 normally returning to breed in the vicinity of Long Island Sound or 

 passing through to areas farther north; some of the wintering populations 

 would depart for breeding grounds in the north. This pattern of influx 

 and outflow accounts for the year-round presence of herring gulls with 

 no discernible pattern. Sightings of color- marked gulls in the vicinity 

 of New Haven Harbor in 1961-1962 indicated they originated from breeding 

 colonies on Cape Ann, Isles of Shoals and Outer Boston Harbor (Drury and 

 Nisbet, 1972) , 



Generally, numbers of gulls in New Haven have increased during 

 the course of this study. This probably is due to the fact that gull 

 populations in New England have increased dramatically in the last 

 twenty years due primarily to their widespread food habits and ability 

 to consume human produced garbage (Kadlec and Drury, 1968). Later 

 evidence by these same authors (1974) revealed this annual rate of 

 population growth had slowed from the 4.5-5% rate during 1900-1965 to a 

 .75-1.5% annual increase since 1965. Nisbet (1978) stated the herring 

 gull breeding population in the United States now appears to be stable 

 or decreasing, possibly due to decreased availability of fisheries 

 wastes . 



