Herring Gull (Larus Argentatus). UK Conservation Status Red.
Listen to JANET E DAVIS:
‘Herring Gull (Larus Argentatus). UK Conservation Status Red’ depicts against a graduated grey-ish background a juvenile gull in monochrome fine lines three times on the left, diminishing in size from bottom to top; and an adult herring gull in colour on the right.
It is printed in three different shaped dot halftones and a line halftone in four colours: cerulean blue, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) on Japanese Hosho paper (lightweight but strong).
The Herring Gulls’ common name indicates how they took advantage of the herring fleet providing good food. Their Latin name means ‘silvery gull.’ Intriguingly, their eye colour changes from dark as a juvenile to very pale greenish-blue when adult.
Avian flu has affected sea and coastal bird populations in the North East in the past few years but the herring gull population had been declining over a long period even before that.
The cries of herring gulls would have been amongst the first bird calls I heard, and remain the sound of home for me. These are intelligent and beautiful birds, and I would miss them if they disappeared.
