GULLS

Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae

Laughing Gull Western Gull   Ring-billed Gull Glaucous-winged Gull   California Gull Great Black-backed Gull   Herring Gull
COOL FACTS TOP Some species of gulls nest in open locations where it can get hot during the day. To keep their eggs or young cool, parents sometimes stand over the nest creating shade on the nest. Other gulls may get their breast feathers wet and then use their wet feathers to cool the eggs. More COOL FACTS about Order Charadriiformes Family Laridae
ORDER Charadriiformes	TOP
Shorebirds, gulls, terns, puffins, relatives
Mostly waterbirds They can be divided into three group

Types of Birds in Order Charadriiformes Species # of Families in North America Shorebirds Sandpipers, plovers, stilts, jacanas, oystercatchers, phalaropes, snipes 5 Gulls-like birds Gulls, terns, jaegers, skuas, skimmers 1 Puffin-like birds Auks, murres, puffins 1

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FAMILY Laridae	TOP
Gulls, terns, jaegers, skuas, and skimmers
Number of species 106 Characteristics sizes from small to large long wings usually webbed feet; small or no hind toe (sticks out behind the foot) usually white, gray, black or some combination of these bills differ: from strong and hooked, to slender and pointed, to blade-like (skimmers) usually feed on the surface of water: in flight, along the ground on shorelines, or by skimming the surface of the water some species steal food from other birds or eat nestlings and rodents live in groups, sometimes with thousands of individuals nest groups are called "colonies," some colonies have been used for hundreds of years most species are diurnal

COOL FACTS about Family Laridae	TOP

Skuas and jaegers are more quiet than gulls. They often feed by stealing food from other birds, especially gulls and terns. During the breeding season, Parasitic Jaegers get almost all of their food by "kleptoparasitism" (stealing), eating stolen fish as well as young and eggs of other birds. Four of the seven species of skuas and jaegers have more than one color morph.