Laridae

Laridae is a family of seabirds that includes gulls, terns, skimmers, and their close relatives. Its members are adapted to varied aquatic habitats and feeding strategies.

Gulls: Gulls are medium-to-large seabirds in the subfamily Larinae, often with stout bills and versatile diets. They form the most familiar and species-rich lineage within Laridae.
Plunge diving: Plunge diving is a foraging method in which a bird dives into water from flight to capture prey. Many terns use it to catch fish near the water’s surface.
Seabird monitoring: Seabird monitoring is the systematic observation of seabird populations, distribution, and breeding success. Larid counts help track changes in coastal bird communities.
Alcidae: Alcidae is a family of diving seabirds that includes auks, murres, and puffins. Unlike most larids, alcids use their wings for underwater propulsion.
Terns: Terns are slender seabirds with pointed wings, narrow bills, and typically forked tails. They are a distinct larid lineage adapted to agile flight and plunge-diving.
Kleptoparasitism: Kleptoparasitism is the theft of food captured or carried by another animal. Some gulls obtain food by pursuing other birds and forcing them to drop their catches.
Gull-billed tern: The gull-billed tern is a tern that often captures insects and other prey over land rather than plunge-diving. It illustrates the family’s range of feeding strategies beyond catching fish.
Stercorariidae: Stercorariidae is a family of seabirds that includes skuas and jaegers. Skuas resemble large gulls but form a separate family and often specialize in piracy.
Skimmers: Skimmers are seabirds that catch prey by flying low and cutting the water with an elongated lower bill. Their specialized bill makes them Laridae’s most unusual feeding specialists.
Filter feeding: Filter feeding is the extraction of small food particles from water using specialized structures or movements. Some small gulls feed at the surface by filtering tiny prey from water.

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