Herring Gull in St. Louis County
2011-06-26

Common in St. Louis County in the Summer season

Adult Herring Gull with two fledglings near their nest on the roof of the Essentia Health First Street Building in downtown Duluth, 26 June 2011. Both adults were often in attendance and at least one adult was present at all times. The two fleglings were seen walking around on the roof before this image was taken, but are clearly unable to fly. A second nest with one downy chick was found nearby at a higher elevation on the same roof. Both nests are visible from my office window and I may get to witness their first flight from the top of this four story building. Nest building was first observed in early May. The first downy chick was noted in early June. Both nests were built in the southeast corner of their respective gravel rooftops, where protected from offshore winds. Rooftop nesting by this species is unusual, but according to the BNA account it has been documented in Boston, MA, Portland, ME, Halifax, NS, and St. John, NB.

Photo by Peder H. Svingen. BNA reference: Pierotti, R. J. and T. P. Good. 1994. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved 26 June 2011 from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/124