Brown-hooded Gull
Patagonienmöwe ( Chroicocephalus maculipennis )
The Patagonienmöwe ( Chroicocephalus maculipennis, Larus maculipennis Syn ) is a native to South America and the Falkland Islands gull species. She recalls in appearance to the common black-headed gull in Eurasia, and was occasionally classified as a subspecies of the gull species. However, it is more closely related to the brown-headed black-headed gull and the Rotschnabelmöwe.
In their area of distribution the Patagonienmöwe is distinctive, since no other species has a similar plumage. The IUCN classifies the Patagonienmöwe employed because of their large distribution area as uncritical ( least concern ).
Appearance
The Patagonienmöwe reaches a height 35-37 inches. The wing length is 27.1 to 31 inches. Patagonienmöwen weigh 290-361 grams. The males tend to be slightly larger than the females.
Adult in breeding plumage have Patagonienmöwen a gray- brown head and a gray-brown throat, sharply differentiated from the pale gray-white nape, white underparts and tail. The body and wing coverts are light gray. The outer primaries are white, the rest are white and black. The beak, legs and feet are dark red-brown, in some individuals the shade of red is, however, more pronounced. The eyes are dark brown with a narrow white eye-ring. In Plain dress is missing the brown head markings, but the birds will have an individually different sized ear brownish spot on.
Fledglings and immature Patagonienmöwen have a bright head on brownish wash. In the first winter young birds have a scaly, gray-brown drawing on the wing-cover or on the mantle. The tail has a thin black horizontal stripes.
Distribution and population
The Patagonienmöwe breeds on the coasts, marshy lakes and rivers from northeastern Argentina, Uruguay and the center of Chile to Tierra del Fuego. It is also a breeding bird of the Falkland Islands. With the population on the Falkland Islands, it seems largely to act as of birds. The breeding birds on the South American continent, however, migrate in the winter further north and are then also observed in northern Chile, northern Argentina and eastern Brazil.
The population is estimated by the IUCN to 100,000 to one million mature individuals.
Way of life
Patagonienmöwen are largely insectivores. They often follow plowing tractors and start over marsh and grassland insects from the air. They also eat small fish, carrion and waste.
The breeding season falls in the period from October to January. The species breeds in colonies that contain up to 500 breeding pairs. It is associated in the breeding colonies occasionally with the Blutschnabelmöwe or Falklandseeschwalbe (Sterna hirundinacea ). Most breeding pairs build their nests out of grass, some build it similar to the tern nests on floating marsh vegetation or use the nests of grebes. The nest usually consists of two to three eggs.