From Opus

Photo by Janha

Chroicocephalus scopulinus

Larus scopulinus

[edit] Identification

Bright red and short bill; red legs and feet, pale grey wings, and black wingtips. There is virtually no sexual dimorphism. The call is a high pitched, raucous scrark.

[edit] Distribution

New Zealand endemic.

[edit] Taxonomy

Recent split from L. novaehollandiae (Silver Gull). Red-billed Gull is a monotypic species, which is sometimes placed in genus Larus.

[edit] Habitat

Coastal areas. Sand spits, boulder banks, shellbanks, gravel beaches, rocky headlands and rocky islets.

[edit] Behaviour

Its diet includes small fish, molluscs, insects, earthworms, eggs, offal, refuse, carrion and marine invertebrates.

They breed between October and December in large densely packed colonies. The nest, built mostly by the male, is made of seaweed, twigs, dry grass and feathers, in the shape of a small mound with a depression in the centre. 2 brownish coloured heavily blotched eggs are laid and incubated by both parents for 24 – 27 days. The chicks fledge at 37 days but remain dependent on their parents for a further 3 weeks.

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