40 WATER BIRDS 



Pescadero in the low fields near the ocean, hundreds 

 have been seen following the plough." A similar state- 

 ment has been made of two other varieties, the ring- 

 billed and the short-billed. 



54. RING-BILLED GULL. — Larus delawarensis. 

 Family : The Gulls and Terns. 



Length: 19.00. 



Adults in Summer : Head, neck, lower parts, and tail white ; mantle 

 pearl-gray ; first primary black, with white patch near tip ; rest of 

 primaries gray, washed with black on outer web and tipped with 

 white ; iris pale yellow ; eyelids red ; bill greenish yellow, banded 

 near end with black and tipped with orange ; feet yellowish green. 



Adults in Winter : Similar, but with ashy streaks on head and nape. 



Young: Upper parts dark ashy, mottled with buff; outer primaries 

 black ; upper half of tail-feathers pearl-gray, meeting a broad band of 

 black which extends to a narrow white tip ; bill yellowish at base, 

 shading into black at tip. 



Downy Young: Dull gray- white ; head spotted with black ; back washed 

 with dusky. 



Geographical Distribution: Entire .North America; south in winter to 

 Cuba and Mexico. 



Breeding Range: Northern portions of the United States, and inland 

 lakes of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. 



Breeding Season : Approximately, May 1 to August 1. 



Nest: Of coarse grass ; on ground, near water. 



Eggs: 2 to 3 ; buffy gray, spotted with chocolate. Size 2.77 X 1.67. 



Although the Ring-billed Gull is a more or less 

 locally common species in every part of the United 

 States, it is more abundant on the Atlantic than on the 

 Pacific coast. In habits it is like the herring gull; but 

 may be distinguished by its smaller size, yellowish green 

 feet, and banded bill. Quite un-sea-bird-like, it relishes 

 the larvae of marsh insects as well as the adult forms, 

 and during fall migrations it catches them on the wing, 



