Mew Gull Bird – Aerialists – 6/4/2018

The Mew Gull was photographed on Nenano River and spruce tree tops at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge in Alaska, and the bridge crossing on Salvage River East.

Select this link to see photos of the Mew Gull

The Mew Gull is smaller than a Ring-Billed Gull with white head, breast and bottom, a gray back, small greenish yellow bill and greenish legs. Its wing tips are black with white spots. It has a range of Northern Eurasia, western North America-that includes the bottom half of Alaska and northwestern Canada. It has a habitat of coastal waters in winter, and lakes and rivers in summer. The diet is mostly small fish along the coasts, mostly insects along inland lakes and rivers, but also eats crustaceans, mollusks, earthworms, small rodents, young birds, berries, and grains. Nest may be on high ground, on top of a stump, or in a dense low spruce up to 20ft above the ground-all near water.

 

 

Great Black-Backed Gull Bird – Aerialists – 11/29/2015

The adult Great Black-Backed Gull was photographed at McKinley Marina in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The 3rd winter juvenile Great Black-Backed Gull was photographed at Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Select this link to see photos of the Great Black-Backed Gull

The Greater Black-Backed Gull has black back and wings, and white underparts with pink legs and is the largest gull Young gulls have contrast brown, paler on the head, tail, and under parts.. This 3rd winter immature Gull still has a black tip on the beak. It is larger than a Herring Gull and the smaller Lesser Black-Backed Gull. It has a range of mainly northern North Atlantic United States. It has a habitat of mainly coastal waters, estuaries: a few on large lakes. The diet includes carrion, fish, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, insects, rodents, berries, and the adults young and eggs of other birds. It is primarily a bird of the Atlantic coast and seldom seen inland except on the Great Lakes.

 

 

Lesser Black-backed Gull Bird – Aerialists – 2/18/2017

The Lesser Black-backed Gull was photographed at Northridge Lakes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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The Lesser Black-backed Gull has slightly light dark gray-black back and snow-white belly, streaking on the head and darker around the eyes, with pink (younger) and yellow (older) legs, streaking on head and darker around the eyes, and is distinguished by yellow legs after the third winter. The juvenile has a black bill, pink legs, and streaking on the belly. The range is Northern Europe, but may be found migrating in North America. It has a habitat at beaches, bays, coasts, and garbage dumps. The diet includes fish, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, and refuge in dumps. It has not been proven to nest in the United States. North American records are of the Britain/Iceland population that is indicated by a lighter black back. When seen they are few in number, and usually only for a short time.

 

 

Thayer’s Gull Bird – Aerialists – 2/18/2017

The Thayers’s Gulls were photographed at the Northridge lake in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on a mostly frozen lake

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The Thayer’s Gull is similar to a Herring Gull with gray back and white lowers, pink legs, bill with a red spot, slate gray primaries, round white or smudgy head, and a purplish-red orbital ring around pale yellow to dark brown eyes. It has a range of Arctic Canada and winters on the Pacific Coast. It has a habitat of coastal waters and bays. It feeds on animal and vegetable substances of small fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and berries. It’s closely related to the Iceland Gull and is difficult to tell from the Iceland and Herring Gulls.

 

 

Kumlien’s Gull Bird – Aerialists – 12/31/2016

The Kumlien’s Gull, a form of the Iceland or Thayer’s Gull, was photographed at South Shore Yacht Club in Bayview, Wisconsin.

Select this link to see photos of the Kumlien’s Gull

The Kumlien’s Gull, a form of the Iceland or Thayer’s Gull, is white with a gray mantle and slightly gray or dark primaries, a yellow bill with orange dot, and pink legs with webbed feet. It has a range of eastern Arctic Canada to northeaster United States. It has a habitat of coastal areas and less frequent inland. Their diet consists of marine life, plant and animal food, refuse, and carrion.

 

 

Common Tern Bird – Aerialists – 5/21/2015

The Common Tern was photographed at North Beach Park in Racine, Wisconsin.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Common Tern

The Common Tern is a small black-capped white gull-liked bird with a gray mantel, red-orange bill (bill with black tip) and legs, and with five outer dark wedge primaries. It has a range of the Northern Hemisphere, and is the most widespread of the terns. It has a habitat of lakes, ocean, bays, and beaches. It has a diet of mostly small fish, and forages mostly by flying over water, hovering, and plunging to catch prey below the water.

 

Caspian Tern Bird – Aerialists – 7/31/2012 to 5/21/2015

The Caspian Tern was photographed at Grant Park Beach in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Caspian Tern

The Caspian Tern is whitish-gray with a black cap and a large reddish bill with a touch of black tip, black legs, and blacker under the primaries. It is one of the larger terns as compared with the Common Tern. Size is compared to a Herring Gull. They have a range around the world, and breed and winter around the coastlines, and inland along lakes, rivers, and marshes. They have a habitat of large lakes, coastal waters, beaches, and bays. They feed on small fish, marine life, and large insects. It rarely swims and plunges from high to catch fish under the water surface. They usually nest in large densely packed colonies, but are not sociable. They are highly vocal.

 

 

Brown Pelican Bird – Aerialists – 8/7/2014

The Brown Pelican was photographed at Murrells Inlet saltwater marsh walk waterfront in South Carolina

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Brown Pelican

Select this link to see panorama photos of Murrells Inlet saltwater marsh walk

The Brown Pelican is a large gray-brown bird with white and brown about the head and neck, a gray pouch and legs. It has a range along the coasts of the United States. It has a habitat on salt bays, beaches, marshes, and ocean coasts and perches on posts and boats. Their diet is mostly fish and crustaceans. They fly close to the water and plunge bill first to get their food.

 

American White Pelican Bird – Aerilaists – 12/25/2013

The American White Pelican during breeding was photographed in San Antonio, Texas Zoo.

The American White Pelican not in breeding plumage, without centerboard on the ridge of the bill.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the American White Pelican

The American White Pelican is a huge white bird with black primaries and a great orange-yellow bill. Adults in breeding plumage have a centerboard on the ridge of the bill. It has a 9 foot wingspan. It has a range in western and central North America. It winters along the west and gulf, and east Florida coats. It has a habitat on lakes, marshes, salt bays, and beaches. It feeds mostly on fish and crayfish by dipping the bill into water and scooping them up.

 

Royal Tern Bird – Aerialists – 11/28/2013

The Royal Tern was photographed on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Royal Tern

The Royal Tern is a medium sized seabird with a large orange bill, a deeply forked tail, a gray back, white under primaries, and a black or white forehead with black feathers forming a crest. The Royal Tern is one of the larger terns. It has a range strictly on the United States east, southeast, and Gulf, and northwest Mexico coasts. The habitats are coasts, sandy beaches, and salt bays. It is almost never seen inland. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans.