Sea Gull Behavior
We are 300 miles from the east coast on Claytor Lake in
VA. Lately we have seen thousands of sea gulls on the water and flying
around. What are they doing so far inland, where do they go at night,and
where do they go from here.
I'm from Illinois, so I can't answer specific questions. However, the term
"sea gull" is so vague as to be meaningless. There are several common
species of gulls and quite a few less common, and many of them range far
from the "sea." In the Chicago area ring-billed gulls are found on Lake
Michigan and far inland on and around ponds, lakes, shopping centers -
wherever they can scavenge for food. On the east coast, according to the
range maps in the Peterson field guide, ring-billed and herring gulls winter
along the Virginia coast and herring gulls breeding range is "expanding."
This edition of the guide was published in 1980. Gulls are scavengers and
will go wherever there is food.
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Update: June 2012