A deeper look at the bird sassily photobombing a London traffic webcam
A traffic webcam in London has a popular visitor.
Transport for London -- the city agency responsible for overseeing public transit in the sprawling metropolis -- has 177 live cameras keeping tabs on traffic. A sassy looking bird has been photobombing one of the cams, just above the Blackwall Tunnel (which runs under the River Thames).
Over 2 million people have taken a look at the transit agency's most recent twitter posting of the white-headed bird, posted on April 30. Who is this attention-seeking creature?
Bird expert Kenn Kaufman had no trouble identifying the animal, a type of gull (there are some 50 species of gull).
"The bird is an adult Herring Gull, and it's an impressive species -- smart, tough, adaptable, able to make a living in a wide variety of surroundings," said Kaufman. "There are lots of Herring Gulls around London at all seasons, including right in the middle of the city, so it's not surprising for one to show up on a traffic cam."
Tweet may have been deleted
The industrious Herring Gulls "seem to be increasing its presence in towns and cities," added Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, chair of the London Bird Club. He noted that the species often nests on roofs around London and travels to other neighboring European countries.
A different population of Herring Gull (some ornithologists think different species) inhabits the North American continent too, also finding a means of survival in our heavily-trafficked urban lands.
Gulls, present on every continent, are certainly robust species overall, capable of making a living almost anywhere. They now thrive on the former super-maximum security prison that is Alcatraz Island, and feast upon the pink salmon leftovers discarded by Alaska's famous bear cam bears.
SEE ALSO:How flocks of birds got trapped inside the eye of Hurricane FlorenceGulls are often called "seagulls," though no such animal exists. Kaufman doesn't mind the popular name, but notes that the term doesn't describe any particular species. In fact, most gulls don't spend much time out at sea. Many are found inland, like London's now-famous Herring gull.
"You can see many more gulls in Kansas than you ever will out in the middle of the ocean," Kaufman said.
Featured Video For You
Ever wonder how the universe might end?
(责任编辑:产品中心)
-
'Terminator Zero' creators find fresh life in sci
In the 40 years since a low-budget action film from a relatively unknown filmmaker and crew blasted ...[详细] -
广东“三产融合”助力林业产业提档升级_南方+_南方plus又是一年赏梅时,暗香盈袖觅芳踪。近日,广州流溪河的梅花进入盛花期,数千株梅树竞相开放,吸引不少市民游客前来踏“雪”寻梅。记者从省林业局获悉,从 ...[详细]
-
本报讯国家统计局雅安调查队调查显示:1月份雅安市原材料等出厂价格PP1)同比上涨7.34%,环比上涨0.63%。按轻重工业类分:轻工业类产品价格同比上涨9.51%,其中以农产品为原料类上涨9.58%, ...[详细]
-
最近几周以来,由北京大学牵头的“北约”自主招生考试刚刚唱罢,以清华大学牵头的“华约”自主招生考试又登场。2月26日上午,由天津大学、同济大学、北京理工大学、东南大学等9所高校联合组成的“卓越联盟”自主 ...[详细]
-
The vast majority of our portable electronic gadgets, and the new wave of electric transportation, a ...[详细]
-
广州打捞局获港口与航道工程施工总承包特级资质_南方+_南方plus日前,住房和城乡建设部发布《关于核准2024年度第一批建设工程企业资质名单的公告》,广州打捞局被核准授予港口与航道工程施工总承包特级资 ...[详细]
-
品鱼宴、争厨王、观鱼灯……元宵节来中山,看三角生鱼“跃龙门”
品鱼宴、争厨王、观鱼灯……元宵节来中山,看三角生鱼“跃龙门”_南方+_南方plus春节将至,在广东过年,怎么玩得精彩?来中山,品鱼宴、争厨王、观鱼灯、赛大鱼……2024三角生鱼美食文化嘉年华玩法万千! ...[详细] -
雅安日报讯日前,记者从荥经县公安局了解到,今年以来,荥经县公安局以“春季攻势”为载体,充分发挥各警种、各部门优势,广泛采用各种手段开展追逃工作,取得显著成效。截至目前,共抓获各类逃犯19名。为了将追逃 ...[详细]
-
Fiction ...[详细]
-
本报讯 昨9)日,共青团雅安市委召开二届六次全委扩大)会,总结2010年工作,安排部署今年及今后一段时期工作。会议要求,各级共青团组织要充分发挥桥梁和纽带作用,团结带领全市广大团员青年,服务“十二五” ...[详细]