24 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



accomplished the gull seizes the difficult morsel and flies up 

 with it into the air, nearly vertically or in circles, drops it 

 onto the hard sand or rocks, follows closely the descent, and 

 alights to regale itself on the exposed contents. If unsuccess- 

 ful the first time the gull tries a second and sometimes a 

 third or fourth time."t Bent states also, on the authority of 

 George H. Mackay, that this gull feeds on dead ducks, and 

 quotes Seton as saying that it "will pursue wounded game 

 and often follows the hunter to share in the kill."J 



RING-BILLED GULL: Larus delawarensis Ord. 



State records. — The ring-billed gull occurs as a common 

 winter resident on the coast. Numbers were observed in 

 Mobile River in February and March, 1912, and on December 

 5, 1916. At Bayou Labatfe, February 9-17, 1912, 10 or 12 

 birds were seen about the oyster factory, feeding in shallow 

 water and on the mud flats, and a few were noticed on 

 I'auphin Island, February 13, 1912. On November 26, 1915, 

 a flock of about 15 was observed resting in shallow watei: 

 on a mud flat near Point-aux-Pines. 



General habits. — The ring-bill is somewhat smaller than 

 the herring gull, but in flight is not easily distinguished from 

 it, except at close range. It associates with its larger relative 

 during its vdnter sojourn in the South, but is often found in 

 flocks composed only of its own species. In Mobile harbor 

 it seems to be about as common as the herring gull, but rather 

 less wary. Bent says that its notes are similar to those of 

 the herring gull, but are pitched in a higher key. 



Food habits. — ^Like the herring gull, the ring-bill feeds 

 largely in winter on carrion and on refuse thrown from ves- 

 sels ; it takes also crabs, moUusks, fish, and some insects. On 

 the western plains, where it is abundant, flocks are often seen 

 following the plowman to pick up the insects as they are 

 turned up. 



tBent, A. C, Op. cit., p. 111. 

 top. cit., p. 112. 



