| י238) שחף ימי | ||||||||||
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:שחף ימי . שחף גדול דומה לשחף שחור, אך גדול וכהה יותר , גבו שחור ורגליו ורודות. מקורו גדול, מגושם וצהוב . בחלק התחתון לקראת הקצה כתם אדום . למתבגר מקור חום-שחור והקצה לבן . בית גידולו חופים חוליים או סלעיים, שפכי נהרות וים פתוח . דוגר באיים עטורי צמחיה, לעיתים באיים עם ביצות מלוחות בינות לשיחים . בארץ מזדמן נדיר בעיקר בחורף לאורך חופי ים התיכון, ובמפרץ אילת ... ואת השחף ... ויקרא י"א, 16 | ||||||||||
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Subspecies and Distribution.
Larus marinus Great Lakes, E Canada and USA to North Carolina. S Greenland, Iceland, Faeroes, British Is, France and Scandinavia to White Sea. Winters S to West Indies and Iberia, occasionally reaching Morocco. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם | ||||||||||
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Descriptive notes.
70-80 cm, 1400-2300 g, wingspan 150-160 cm. Largest gull, with large wings, massive head and bill. White head, underbody and tail, with slaty black back and upperwings. Bill yellow, with red gonydeal spot. Legs pink, iris yellow, with red orbital ring. Juvenile heavily mottled white and pale brown, with all dark bill. Habitat. Sandy or rocky coasts, estuaries and open sea. Locally larger inland waters, fields and moorland. Breeds on vegetated islands, dunes, flat-topped stacks, sometimes salt-marsh islands among bushes. Food and Feeding. Omnivorous and opportunistic. Fish, birds and their chicks and eggs, mammals, invertebrates, insects, carrion, rubbish, offal and sometimes berries. Aggressive predator, particularly on eggs and chicks of Hring Gull and Black-legged Gull. Can kill adult birds. Cracks molluscs and goose eggs by dropping them on hard surfaces, Kills young birds in same way. Scavenges on shore, also at rubbish dumps. Breeding. Apr-May. Small colonies, near or intermingled with Herring Gull, and often solitary pairs among other species. Chick mortality increases with number of neighbouring territories and frequency of agonistic encounters. Prefers ridges, pinnacles and rock outcrops, but some nest on roofs. Normally uses open sandy, grassy or rocky substrate. Bulky nest of dry grass, moss and seaweed, often next to rock or vegetation. 3 eggs, incubation 27 days. Chick pale grey with large black spots. First breeding at 4 years. Movements. High Arctic birds migrate S ,while southern breeders disperse shorter distances. Most Icelandic birds disperse around the island, but some juveniles reach Britain. Norwegian birds move mainly W and SW to North Sea and Britain, while Swedish and Finnish breeders move mainly E and S into Baltic. North American recoveries were all within 800 km of breeding colony, but numbers reaching Gulf Coast are increasing, and a few reach West Indies. Status and Conservation. Not globally threatened. total population at least 200.000 pairs. Israel. In Israel subspecies Larus marinus. Accidental in winter and on spring at Mediterranean coast and Gulf of Eilat. |
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