"Our largest gull. Primarily a bird of the Atlantic Coast, seldom seen inland except around the Great Lakes. Because of its large size and omnivorous feeding habits, the Great Black-back can be a significant predator on other species of birds during the nesting season. It has benefitted from certain human activities (such as the establishment of garbage dumps) and has expanded its range southward along the Atlantic seaboard in recent decades."
The Laughing Gull's name comes from its raucous call, which sounds like a high-pitched "ha...ha...ha...". The specific name 'atricilla' comes from Latin 'atra' meaning black, unlucky, or malevolent, and 'cilla' meaning tail. Carl Linnaeus, who coined the species' scientific name in 1758, may have actually intended to write 'atricapilla', meaning black-haired, which would have been more accurate to the bird's appearance.
I’ve taught my daughter to love pigeons. That one’s easyish…they’re fluffy and dorky in a cutesy way.
But I’ve also taught her to love gulls (seagulls aren’t real), but naturally there won’t be any videos of her feeding them out of her hands.
And if you ask her at 6yrs old, she’ll tell you that the reason we need to love them the most is because people hate them the most.
And I don’t know why.
I know the reasons people give…
They’re noisy.
They make a mess (poop & torn open garbage bags)
They steal people’s food.
And I’m like…is that it? Minor inconveniences also caused by your average drunk crowd on a Friday night? That’s it? You’re calling for culling because of slight annoyances?
We destroyed their nesting sites so they adapted and moved to the artificial cliffs of the coastal cities.
We stole all their fish, so they root through our garbage and occasionally steal someone’s chips.
And for that you want to cull them?
I love watching them on stormy days, killing it as they ride, dipping and diving, on the drafts. It makes me smile watching them wing their way home to bed at sunset, calling out to their kin and friends to join them.
"A very common small gull of northern and offshore waters, named for its nasal 'ki-ti-waak' callnotes. Seldom comes to land south of its nesting range, but may be seen from shore on either coast, especially during storms. Often abundant on the northern islands where it nests. There the kittiwakes are seen on narrow cliff ledges, perched facing the wall, their tails sticking out over the edge."