Gulls belong to the most numerous genus of birds from the gull family. They also live in the open sea,
and on inland waters. As a rule, seagulls are birds of medium or large size. Their plumage is usually white or grey, often with black markings on their wings or head. A distinctive feature of these birds is the well-developed swimming membranes on the legs and the beak, which is slightly curved at the end.
Chicks of seagulls appear well furred and already with open eyes. These spotted lumps are completely different from their parents. For some time they are in the nest under their supervision. A few hours after the birth of gull chicks begin to demand food. For their parents, they remain unrecognizable only a few days after birth, then each of the parents unmistakably recognizes their chick. By the way, do you know the name of a seagull chick? In Dahl's dictionary, a young gull (chick) is called chabar. But Danilovsky's chabor is hatched in an egg, but not yethatched chick.
Seagulls are able to feed not only their chicks - they can also accept strangers, but only up to 14 days old. In breeding colonies, adoption most often occurs under certain conditions. For example, panic at the appearance of a predator or caused by a visit to a person. It can also happen due to adverse climatic conditions.
The most massive adoption occurs in Franklin's gulls, which nest in the swamps. They build their nests from reeds, and during the rise of the water, many nests float, as they cannot gain a foothold. Young fledglings of Franklin's gulls often leave their nests at this time to swim. And each of them can climb into any nest, where they will be accepted by adult birds into their brood.
But the gray gull, which breeds in Chile in a hot desert, the situation is somewhat different. Adult birds stand over the nests and create shade with their bodies. Any gull chick can come to the nest, where it will be fed and sheltered from the sun. But if he is far from the nest, he will be attacked by adult gulls and even by his parents.
It must be said that seagulls tend to have angry behavior. And their anger is always directed towards the chicks. This is especially true for males. They often attack chicks that come close to them or run past them. During such attacks, gull chicks often die, and this would somehow be justified if they were then used as food. But no, this is not happening. So males attack stray chicksonly because they are descendants of other gulls. For example, in the Klusha, intraspecific predation has a “domino effect.”
If someone steals a chick or an egg from the nest, then an angry male will steal the egg (or chick) from another pair and so on.
Colonial gulls have developed communal care for their offspring. Such a phenomenon can occur spontaneously, due to the attack of predators. Chicks gather in large groups - nurseries, which are guarded by adult birds. The formation of such nurseries helps seagulls protect their offspring from attacks by crows, rats and other predators. They can also group together if the colony is disturbed by a person. Some of the adult birds remain to protect the young, while the rest collectively drive away the stranger or attack the predator from above.
