Common or Herring Gull?

[eyes to the skies]

Seems gulls like tennis balls - I don't know if they can see the color though? Can gulls see color?

I saw this gull which I think is a 1st Winter Common Gull (though someone reckons it's a Herring Gull?) I saw it playing with a tennis ball in St James's Park, London!

YouTube - Common gull and tennis ball.wmv

[Chocky]

Great video Nigel. I found it quite funny.
I think you'll find birds can see colour . I think different birds have different colour ranges see different can see ultraviolet . They certainly see more of the spctrum than we do but not 100% sure

[Billy]

i know from doing avian science course that what we see as black, like the blackbird is actually very vibrant in the way they see themselfs and each other.
Tis a very interesting subject,

[Chocky]

Yes it is very interesting subject.
They can see colours far more intensely than humans I know that and I think some can see ultraviolet .

[rolf]

I believe that most if not all of them see the Ultraviolet spectrum, hence why the window alert stickers work so well.

[Catherine]

A Common Gull has yellow legs. A Herring Gull has pink ones. So I think this is a Herring Gull.

I guess that both he and the Black Headed Gull thought the tennis ball was an egg, thus a prize delicacy!

It must have been disappointing to get a mouthful of hairy fluff - no yolk!

[eyes to the skies]

A Common Gull has yellow legs. A Herring Gull has pink ones. So I think this is a Herring Gull.

I guess that both he and the Black Headed Gull thought the tennis ball was an egg, thus a prize delicacy!

It must have been disappointing to get a mouthful of hairy fluff - no yolk!

Thanks for the responses: but this I think is a 1st winter common gull. Adult common gulls have green to yellow-green legs according to RSPB Complete Guide book. Also after some consideration it has a slender head and bill which suggests common gull to me.

Interesting: but I wondered why it was the only gull interested? If you throw bread in they all congregate in a frenzy, so if one gull thought something was food? Then surely others would also think it and be after the ball?