07 July 2015

Tarapunga (red-billed gull), Petone Wharf

Petone sits at the head of Wellington harbour, and the long wharf that extends from the shore is an excellent place to view gulls, which lurk here to capitalise on any success the numerous fishers might have. This is an immature red-billed gull. While still abundant, the population of this species is declining rapidly and its official status is now 'Nationally vulnerable'.



All content © 2015 Pete McGregor
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4 comments:

Relatively Retiring said...

How do they stay so beautifully clean? Perhaps it's easier in New Zealand, but herring gulls even manage to stay sparkling alongside the river Severn, which often seems to be mainly mud and algae.

7 July 2015 at 20:11
pohanginapete said...

RR, I think it's just because birds in general need to keep their plumage in excellent condition, so they spend a lot of time preening. Dirty feathers mean poor insulation and impaired ability to fly. I share your amazement at how they manage it, though, and can only assume that any bird that was not good at keeping itself clean would have been less likely to survive and breed.

8 July 2015 at 08:06
Zhoen said...

"Take a pictcha, it'll last longah! Oh... you did."

9 July 2015 at 08:48
pohanginapete said...

Zhoen, that gull got more than its share of photographic attention. Poser.

9 July 2015 at 10:45

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