Herring Gull

A Herring Gull.

The Herring Gull is one of the breeding-birds whose numbers have been increasingly continually on the fjord for the last 37 years, during which time the population has quadrupled.

Its biggest colonies are on Øksneholm, Elleore and Langholm in Lejre Vig. There was also a large colony on Eskilsø but since 1996 foxes have driven them away, together with the other birds that used to breed on the island. A number of the other islands also have colonies of varying size. The growth of the Herring Gull population is presumably part of the reason for the decline of Tern, Black-headed Gull etc, as Herring Gulls often eat the eggs and young of other species.


A Herring Gull chick.

The Herring Gull can be seen in the fjord all year round. In summer it is often to be seen close to fishing boats when the nets are being emptied of unusable fish. It used to forage on open rubbish dumps, which have now all been closed. It was thought that the closing of rubbish dumps would lead to a decline in the Herring gull population, but this has not happened. In winter it generally keeps to the harbours, where the birds are fed.

The autumn and winter populations vary a good deal from year to year (with numbers fewer than 2,500). Leg rings show that many of them migrate to the north German Baltic harbours in winter.




Key to the Distribution Map.

Herring Gull - population trends