Herring Gull:

Herring gulls are common seagulls found on the coast of Maine. They are white with a gray instead of a black mantle. Tips of the wings are black with white spots. Young birds are chocolate until the first winter and then slowly change until they reach adulthood in three years. Be careful if you stop to eat your lunch on the beach because they are quick and bold scavengers. The Great Black-Backed Gull is a year round resident of Maine.

Great Black-Backed Gull:

These birds are easy to identify. The Great Black-Backed gull can be described with a mantle (back and upper surface of the wing) that is black and with head, belly and tail that are white. It is the biggest gull on the coast and easy to spot. The Great Black-Backed Gull is a year round resident of Maine commonly seen along the coast.

Laughing Gull:

They have a dark gray mantle that turns black at the wing tips. The bill is bright red. Do you know how they got their name? They got their name because of their shrill call that truly sounds like laughter. These birds are fairly common and visible from the end of May and to the beginning of September. Do you know why? These bird do head south for the winter.

Bonaparte's Gull:

 These birds have a large gray mantle with a prominent white wedge at the wing tip. Their bill is black. These gulls are smaller than the laughing gull. The flight of the Bonaparte's gull is much like a bird called the tern. The flight of the tern can be described as graceful and buoyant and they often hover above their prey. These gulls are popular in the months of May and early June. They reappear in mid July to early November. A few will hang out in the winter.

Eider:

This bird is considered a sea duck. Sea ducks dive for mollusks and crustaceans rather than eating the food on the surface of the water. They are also known for pattering along the surface of the water before they take flight. The eider is commonly found along the coast of Maine. In 1907, there were only two nesting eiders. Today, there are about 25,000 nest pairs of eiders. The male is striking in looks and easy to identify. He has a white breast and back with a black belly. The females are brown with no striking features. In the mating season they pair up and during the nesting season only the females sit on the nest. After the birds hatch several females and their young come together into nursery groups called crèches. In winter the males and females are often seen floating together in large groups.

Double Crested Cormorant:

The double crested cormorant is a large dark bird that sits low in the water. It breeds along the coast and heads south in the winter. The adults are black with an orange bill. The young are similar in color but are light on the chin and breast. When they swim on the surface of the water they hold their bill up slightly. When they fly they hold their head level to their body. The cormorant flies singularly and also in loose lines of V formations. They can be seen perched on rocks, pilings or trees to stretch out their wings to dry.

The Great Cormorant:

The Great Cormorant is larger than the double crested cormorant. The adults are black with yellow bills and have a patch of white at the throat. The younger are dark above and white on the cheeks and belly. The Great Cormorant has similar flight characteristics as the Double Crested Cormorant. The Great Cormorants are mostly winter visitors of Maine appearing from November to March or early April.

Tern:

The tern is long winged and slender bodied, and is much smaller that the gull family. The tern has a graceful and smooth flight and is seen hovering above their preys. Examples of their prey include small fish and invertebrates. The three main species of tern are common, artic, and roseate. The tern comes to Maine to breed on treeless off shore islands. Then they fly far south in the winter. The common terns are highest in population. The roseate are lowest in number and considered endangered. All three types of tern are similar in size. The tern can be described as having a black cap, a gray mantle and a forked tail.