Black-tailed Gull
Encyclopedia
The Black-tailed Gull is a medium-sized (46 cm) gull
, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm. The bird is resident in East Asia
, including China
, Taiwan
, Japan
and Korea
. It is a vagrant to Alaska
and northeastern North America
.
It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill. This gull takes 4 years to reach full adult plumage. As the name suggests, it has a black tail. The bird has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name — Umineko, "Sea cat", and Korean name — Gwaeng-yi gull, which means "cat" gull. In Hachinohe they are one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan
.
The Black-tailed Gull feeds mainly on small fish
, molluscs, crustaceans scraps and carrion. It often follows ships and commercial fishing fleets. It does steal food from other seabirds.
It is a colonial nester, with colonies forming in mid-April. 2-3 eggs are laid by early June. Incubation lasts approximately 24 days.
An enormous gathering of Black-tailed Gulls can be found at the Kabushima Shrine at Hachinohe, Aomori
, Japan. This Shinto
shrine was raised by fishermen in 1269 (though it has been rebuilt several times since) to honour the Black-tailed Gull, which is seen as a messenger of the goddess of the fishery. For over 700 years, the species has enjoyed reverence, feeding and protection from the local population. As a result, every summer, over 40,000 seagulls nest and raise their young in the grounds of the shrine and the surrounding island, which has been designated a National Natural Treasure by the government of Japan. The seagulls are very tame and are a popular local tourist attraction.
A rare visitor to the United States, a black-tailed gull was spotted from Burlington, Vermont
, in October 2005. Pictures from that sighting can be seen here
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
, with a wingspan of 126-128 cm. The bird is resident in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, including China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. It is a vagrant to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and northeastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
It has yellow legs and a red and black spot at the end of the bill. This gull takes 4 years to reach full adult plumage. As the name suggests, it has a black tail. The bird has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name — Umineko, "Sea cat", and Korean name — Gwaeng-yi gull, which means "cat" gull. In Hachinohe they are one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan
100 Soundscapes of Japan
In 1996, as part of its efforts to combat noise pollution and to protect and promote the environment, the Ministry of the Environment designated the . 738 submissions were received from all over the country and the 100 'best' were selected after examination by the Japan Soundscape Study Group...
.
The Black-tailed Gull feeds mainly on small fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, molluscs, crustaceans scraps and carrion. It often follows ships and commercial fishing fleets. It does steal food from other seabirds.
It is a colonial nester, with colonies forming in mid-April. 2-3 eggs are laid by early June. Incubation lasts approximately 24 days.
An enormous gathering of Black-tailed Gulls can be found at the Kabushima Shrine at Hachinohe, Aomori
Hachinohe, Aomori
- Neighbouring municipalities :Aomori Prefecture*Sannohe District**Hashikami**Gonohe**Nanbu*Kamikita District**OiraseIwate Prefecture*Karumai-History:...
, Japan. This Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrine was raised by fishermen in 1269 (though it has been rebuilt several times since) to honour the Black-tailed Gull, which is seen as a messenger of the goddess of the fishery. For over 700 years, the species has enjoyed reverence, feeding and protection from the local population. As a result, every summer, over 40,000 seagulls nest and raise their young in the grounds of the shrine and the surrounding island, which has been designated a National Natural Treasure by the government of Japan. The seagulls are very tame and are a popular local tourist attraction.
A rare visitor to the United States, a black-tailed gull was spotted from Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
, in October 2005. Pictures from that sighting can be seen here
External links
- Black-tailed Gulls at Kabushima - official site
- Black-tailed Gull in California Black-tailed Gull information and Photos in California
- IUCN Red List - Home Page -
- BirdLife International 2008. Larus crassirostris. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1.
- video showing the gulls of Kabushima
- video showing the gulls of Kabushima