Ring-billed Gull
At the time of its discovery the Westcliff Ring-billed Gull was only the 27th county record. It is now the longest staying Ring-billed Gull in East Anglia and has now come back to Southend for its sixth winter (2004). The Westcliff Gull has been given the name of 'Rossi' by local birdwatchers due to the fact that it can often be found near to the Rossi ice cream parlour on the seafront. Since being first recorded at Blackpill in 1973, this North American species has become a regular visitor to Britain, with as many as 50 birds being recorded in some years. Much of this is perhaps down to improved identification. Most are in the south-west, particularly around the Hayle Estuary where, in the past, there was a long-staying bird present. The species is now being recorded much more frequently in other parts of the country, including Scotland.
The Ring-Billed Gull is a medium-sized gull that used to be quite abundant, and was called the Common American Gull. It was killed for its feathers (mostly used in hats), but has now recovered from a drastic decline in population numbers; it may be the most abundant gull in North America. This sea bird is found along ocean and lake coasts of North America. The life span is about 10 to 15 years. These water birds make a high-pitched squawking sound and a ky-eow sound. Ring-billed Gulls are intermediate in size and character between Common Gulls and Herring Gulls, not as gentle-looking as the former or as robust as the latter. An adult Ring-billed Gull will have an obvious black ring near the tip of the pale bill but this is true of some Common Gulls so you should look for the paler grey mantle, heavier-looking head, thicker, less-tapering bill, paler eye and narrower white tips to the tertials of a Ring-billed Gull. In first-winter plumage both Common and Ring-billed Gulls have already acquired grey mantles so the pale back colour of a Ring-billed should already be obvious. Such a bird would also have bolder dark markings than a Common Gull, especially on the breast and flanks but also on the head, mantle and uppertail which therefore looks less neatly defined than in a Common Gull. The thicker, straight-edged bill and pale mantle of a Ring-billed Gull may be more suggestive of a Herring Gull which, second winter plumage, looks similar to first-winter Ring-billed Gull. If youre not sure about the subtle differences in size and structure, notice that the whole wing of a Herring Gull looks uniformly barred, (including the tertials and greater coverts) whereas on a Ring-billed Gull only the middle part of the wing is barred. In North America, the Ring-billed Gull breeds in the Northwest from the prairies of Canada to California. It is also found in the Great Lakes region, the Canadian Maritimes, and northern New England. It winters from southern New England south to Cuba, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and from British Columbia to Mexico. The Ring-billed Gull eats insects, seeds, grain, fish and garbage. It is often called the "fast food gull" because it often hangs around fast food restaurants scavenging for food.
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