Studies on a colony of colour-ringed Herring GullsLarus argentatus: II. Colony occupation and feeding outside the breeding season

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Abstract
The study of colour-ringed Herring Gulls over 6 years at a colony in NE England [UK] has shown that many of the breeding birds are present in every month of the year. A majority of the adult females leave the colony for a month or more during the non-breeding season but this absence is not synchronized and some of the birds have returned before others depart. Only a minority of the adult males leave the colony for periods in excess of a month and they appear to be more attached to the colony throughout the year than the females. Most of the birds remain within 25 km of the colony during the annual absence from the colony. Young breeding adult Herring Gulls may leave the colony for longer periods. Very few of the birds were found feeding at fish quays or refuse tips in the area and even those which did visit these feeding sites, did so infrequently. It is suggested that most of the birds feed at sea.