LARIDAE
Gulls, terns, noddies and skimmers
SUMMARY OF THIS STUDY
Introduction and Description of the species
Reproduction :
The nest
The defence displays
The courtship displays
Nesting behaviour
Text by Nicole Bouglouan
Photographers:
Aurélien Audevard
OUESSANT DIGISCOPING
Alfredo Colón
Puerto Rico Wildlife
Tom Grey
Tom Grey's Bird Pictures
Patrick Ingremeau
TAMANDUA
Bob Moul
Nature Photography
Nicole Bouglouan
PHOTOGRAPHIC RAMBLE
Sources :
HANDBOOK OF THE BIRDS OF THE WORLD Volume 3 by Josep del Hoyo-Andrew Elliott-Jordi Sargatal - Lynx Edicions - ISBN : 8487334202
THE HANDBOOK OF BIRD IDENTIFICATION FOR EUROPE AND THE WESTERN PALEARCTIC by Mark Beaman, Steve Madge - C.Helm - ISBN: 0713639601
OISEAUX DE LA REUNION par Armand Barau - Nicolas Barré - Christian Jouanin - Editions Orphie - ISBN : 2877632636
L’ENCYCLOPEDIE MONDIALE DES OISEAUX - Dr Christopher M. Perrins - BORDAS - ISBN: 2040185607
DEFENCE DISPLAYS:
At the beginning of breeding season, when the birds arrive at breeding grounds, several displays are observed in all species.
California Gull
Larus californicus
Colonies are noisy. If a predator approaches, alarm calls are given and gulls engage in active defence with communal mobbing and attacks, aerial chases and aerial fights.
All terns are territorial and each pair defends its area. In some colonies such as Caspian, Royal and Sandwich Terns, the packing is so dense that aerial predators cannot find any suitable place for landing.
Forster's Tern - Sterna forsteri
California Gull - Larus californicus
Common Tern - Sterna hirundo
Harassing a Corvidae
They also walk towards opponents and perform several displays with movements of head, body and bill.
Black-billed Gull - Chroicocephalus bulleri
Skimmers also defend the nest-site. The male defends aggressively his mate from other males. When the chicks start to wander away from the nest, females become aggressive towards intruders and protect their young.
Several displays are used in defence, with the commonest, named “aggressive upright”, during which the bird extends the neck vertically and holds the bill horizontally or slightly raised. The bill may be opened or closed, and the wings are held away from the body. These displays occur before an aerial or terrestrial attack.
Rynchops niger
Unlike other Laridae, skimmers perform distraction displays if any type of predators, including humans, approaches the chicks.
Thalasseus maximus
Anous stolidus
Birds perform defence displays in order to defend their area and to protect the young.
They use calls, aerial and terrestrial displays performed solitary, in pairs or in flocks.