First pure pairs of yellow-legged gull Larus [cachinnans] michahellis along the North Sea coasts

• Main Authors: Vercruijsse, H. J. P, Stienen, Eric, van Waeyenberge, Jeroen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/thematic/inbo_th_00029; Sea and coastal birds; Charadrius hiaticula; Common tern; Lesser black-backed gull; Ringed Plover; Sterna hirundo; Black-headed Gull; Larus ridibundus
• Online Access: https://data.inbo.be/pureportal/en/publications/first-pure-pairs-of-yellowlegged-gull-larus-cachinnans-michahellis-along-the-north-sea-coasts(3674eb12-a90d-4f3b-ae62-68a50b1778f4).html

Since 1985, newly created land in the outer harbour of Zeebrugge (51°21’N, 3°11’E), Belgium, supports fast growing populations of gulls, terns and plovers (Seys et al. 1998; Stienen et al. in press). In 2002, 2100 pairs of Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus , 3400 pairs of Lesser Black-backed Gull L. graellsii , 950 pairs of Herring Gull L. argentatus , 2450 pairs of Common Tern Sterna hirundo and smaller numbers of Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula , Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus , Mediterranean Gull L. melanocephalus , Common Gull L. canus , Sandwich Tern S. sandvicensis and Little Tern S. albifrons were found breeding here. In the same year, the first two pure pairs of Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis settled in the outer harbour of Zeebrugge.