Yellow-Legged Gull Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)

The Yellow-Legged Gull is not always easy to identify, especially from a distance. They look very similar to Herring Gulls and they’re also similar to Black-Backed Gulls.

It doesn’t help that all of these birds are often found in the same location. However, Yellow-Legged Gulls do have one distinguishing feature which can help in differentiating them from other gulls.

That is the feature from which they get their name, their yellow legs. Yellow-Legged Gulls also typically have thicker necks, a more rounded head and longer wings than Herring Gulls. However, just to add to the confusion, some Herring Gulls have yellow legs!

On closer inspection it is possible to notice the red orbital ring around the eye of the Yellow-Legged Gull as opposed to the orange orbital ring of the Herring Gull. Plus Yellow-Legged Gulls have more black on their wingtips. Another tell-tale sign is the red mark on the tip of the Yellow-Legged Gull’s yellow beak.

To find out more about these interesting gulls, keep reading.

How Long Does A Yellow-Legged Gull Live?

The Yellow-Legged Gull has a relatively long lifespan for a bird. With many Yellow-Legged Gulls living to be around 20 years old according to ring records.

There are a number of factors that can affect the lifespan of Yellow-Legged Gulls including attacks from predatory birds of prey like hawks and falcons as well as unfavourable weather conditions and a lack of available food.

In fact during the lockdowns of 2020 when there was no human food remains to be scavenged, Yellow-Legged Gulls in Rome were witnessed taking prey such as large rats and rock doves.

How Fast Can A Yellow-Legged Gull Fly?

Adult Yellow-Legged Gulls can fly at a speed of around 28 mph (45 km/h). That’s around 12.5 metres per second.

Yellow-Legged Gulls have the ability to fly long distances and can glide over open seas for hours in search of food.

Are Yellow-Legged Gulls Aggressive?

Yellow-Legged Gulls are not typically aggressive apart from when protecting their nests, eggs and chicks or preventing intruders from taking their food. They typically make a show of calling with their heads up in the air and flap their wings in a manner designed to intimidate any would-be intruders.

They can also seem very aggressive towards humans who happen to be holding any food like fish and chips or ice creams. Yellow-Legged Gulls will swoop in and steal the food out of the hands of the unaware humans who are usually too shocked to react.

What Is A Yellow-Legged Gull’s Habitat?

Yellow-Legged Gulls breed in coastal regions and islands in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. During the rest of the year, Yellow-Legged Gulls can be found in many locations including rubbish tips where they scavenge for food.

They can also be found in coastal regions, around reservoirs, lakes, rivers and even following farmers as they plough their fields exposing many insects.

How Long Does It Take For A Yellow-Legged Gull To Build A Nest?

Nest building is a shared task for the Yellow-Legged Gull and takes around 3 to 7 days depending on the availability of suitable materials. The males typically collect the materials used for building the nest whilst the female does the actual construction.

The nests are typically made using grass, twigs, seaweed and other local vegetation. The nests are typically sited on cliffs, rocky islands and other raised locations close to the coast.

In some cases. The nests are built directly on the ground or on rocks but this is rare. They typically position the nest in areas which provide protection from would-be predators and with clear views of the surrounding area.

Eggs

With the nest built, the female begins the reproductive process. This starts with laying her eggs.

When Do Yellow-Legged Gulls Lay Eggs?

Yellow-Legged Gulls tend to breed in colonies and lay their eggs during the period from mid March to mid May. 

They coincide the egg laying with the time when they know there will be abundant food supplies for themselves and their growing chicks.

How Many Eggs Does A Yellow-Legged Gull Lay?

The female will lay anywhere between 2 to 4 eggs with a typical clutch consisting of 3 eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents with other single males helping to keep watch for any signs of intruders.

Yellow-Legged Gulls tend to breed in fairly large colonies as a safety feature. The single (unpaired) males help to guard the nesting site from any would-be intruders.

If spotted, these intruders are dive bombed and pecked by the Yellow-Legged Gulls to keep them away from the nesting site.

What Do Yellow-Legged Gull Eggs Look Like?

The eggs of the Yellow-Legged Gull are a greenish-brown or olive colour with dark brown specks or blotches. These markings and colours help to camouflage the eggs against their nesting site.

The eggs are around 60 x 45 mm in size and oval shaped.

How Long Do Yellow-Legged Gull Eggs Take To Hatch?

The eggs, which are incubated by both parents, take anywhere between 27 to 31 days to hatch. The young typically fledge the nest after around 35 to 40 days.

Chicks

Once the eggs have successfully hatched, the next stage in the reproductive process is rearing the chicks. Let’s take a closer look at the chicks of the Yellow-Legged Gull.

How Many Chicks Does A Yellow-Legged Gull Have?

As with many birds, the hatching success rate for Yellow-Legged Gull eggs is around 60 to 80% on average. Once the chicks hatch, they have a 50 to 70% success rate for reaching the fledgling stage of development.

These figures all depend on a number of factors including; weather conditions, predation, the availability of food and human interference. Different breeding regions offer better or worse chances of successful chick rearing which just goes to show the resilience and adaptability of the Yellow-Legged Gull.

They will often get to raise all 3 eggs to chicks or lose as many as 2 chicks and only raise the one surviving chick.

When Do Yellow-Legged Gull Chicks Open Their Eyes?

Yellow-Legged Gull chicks are precocial which means they hatch with their eyes open. They are also covered in down which means they are able to leave the nest after just a few hours or the next day.

This is vital to their survival as they are at their most vulnerable when in the nesting site. They spend their next few weeks of life learning from their parents what to eat and where to find it. As well as learning how to evade predators and intimidate other birds in order to steal their food.

When Do Yellow-Legged Gull Chicks Fledge?

Yellow-Legged Gull chicks typically fledge the nest at around 35 to 40 days after hatching. Many stay close to their parents once fledged because their parents have shown them areas most likely to provide food.

SEE ALSO: Turnstone Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements

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