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Lake Champlain Colonial Waterbird Database Project
Herring Gull
Herring Gulls were the sole gull species
nesting on Lake Champlain prior to the arrival of the Ring-billed
Gull in the 1940's and the Great Black-backed Gull in the
1980's. The largest population numbers for this species occur
on Vermont's Young Island and the New York's Four Brothers.
Individual pairs have also been recently documented on Rock
(St. Albans) and Popasquash islands. Historic nesting locations
include Sunset, Law and Bixby islands.
Herring Gull populations have never reached
the size of their smaller counterparts the Ring-billed Gull.
The colonies on Young Island and the Four Brothers average
200-300 pairs. Herring Gulls are managed under federal permit
and are not permitted to nest on islands with colonies of
the Vermont state endangered Common Tern as they are known
nest and chick predators.
Estimated Number of Herring Gull Breeding
Pairs
On Lake Champlain, 1982-2004.
| Year |
Young Island |
Four Brothers Island |
Rock Island (Georgia) |
Mud Island |
Popasquash Island |
Hen Island |
Bixby Island |
| 1982 |
? |
150 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1983 |
? |
160 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1984 |
? |
160 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1985 |
? |
150 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1986 |
? |
180 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1987 |
209 |
118 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1988 |
168 |
75 |
|
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1989 |
212 |
61 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1990 |
? |
65 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1991 |
? |
95 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1992 |
? |
155 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1993 |
? |
120 |
0 |
|
0 |
1 |
|
| 1994 |
? |
130 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1995 |
209 |
160 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 1996 |
? |
100 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 1997 |
? |
197 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 1998 |
? |
141 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 1999 |
? |
100 |
1 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 2000 |
? |
60 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 2001 |
158 |
35 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 2002 |
162 |
50 |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
| 2003 |
149 |
|
0 |
|
1 |
0 |
|
2004 |
? |
42* |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
2005 |
|
? |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
2006 |
77 |
? |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
2007 |
151 |
? |
0 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
? = nesting birds present but numbers
unknown.
* = counts considered to be underestimates as a result of
survey methods
Blank spaces represent no data.
Source
High Peaks Audubon Society’s annual surveys of the
Four Brothers Islands, 1982- 2002.
Unpublished data. Elizabethtown, NY.
Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife annual survey data.
Unpublished. Essex Jct. VT.
University of Vermont annual surveys of Young Island. Unpublished
data. Burlington, VT.
Dr. David Capen, personal communication.
John, M. C. Peterson personal communication.
Audubon Vermont annual survey data of Popasquash and Rock
islands. Unpublished data. Huntington Vermont. Return to the Lake Champlain Colonial Waterbirds home page
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