27 June 2014

It's easier when they're not flying

Unquestionably the commonest gull around Toronto, which has (at the tip of the Leslie St. Spit/Tommy Thompson Park) one of the largest ring-billed gull breeding colonies in the world.

Adult ring-billed gull in breeding plumage
It's rare to get a view that makes it obvious how fluffy they really are; all that wing is made out of complex layers of feathers.
Adult ring-billed gull in breeding plumage and looking wroth
The red spot on the bill (not actually a gonydeal spot) might well indicate breeding success, as might the continued red eye ring and gape, but it's hard to say this one looks at all happy.

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