Differences between Eagle and Seagull

Eagle and Seagull are two classes of birds that belong to the Accipitridae and Laridae families respectively.

Eagles are one of the largest and powerful birds on the planet. They are revered as mythological birds in several cultures of the world. There are about 60 species of Eagles, prominent among them being Harrier Eagles, Hawk Eagles, Martial Eagles, American Bald Eagle, and Sea Eagles. Eagles are at the top of the food chain. They have splendid eye sight and can see as far as three kilometres beyond. Their heads are fully feathered and usually white. The birds have wide wings, strong feet, and curved nails. Their plumage is usually brown in color, while their hooked beaks are orange. Eagles are known for their fearlessness and strength.

Seagull is the vernacular form for the bird Gull. Known to be clever, these birds are mostly large in size with grey or white plumage. They have big black marks on their head and wings. Their beaks are usually yellow in color with a red spot and a hook at the tip. Bigger Seagulls have pink legs, while the smaller ones have red or black legs. The birds have webbed feet. There are over 40 species of Gulls across the world.

Where are Eagle and Seagull found?

Eagles live near waterbodies like lakes, rivers, and seas. They prefer to perch, roost, and nest on tall trees. Most Eagle species are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. About 11 of them exist in North and South America, while a couple of them are from Australia.

Gulls are water birds. They are typically found near coasts, especially during summers. However, they have become common even at inland waterways like rivers, reservoirs, and lakes. They can adapt to any region as long as there are food sources there. Consequently, Gulls are visible even inside cities and towns. Gulls exist everywhere in the world. They have been found even near Antarctica and the Arctic.

What do Eagle and Seagull eat?

Eagles are largely carnivores. Their diet depends on the species and geography. They generally eat mammals and birds. The ones living near water bodies also prey on aquatic animals, gulls, and seabirds. Eagles are fierce hunters but they also steal food from other Eagles and birds. However, they rarely eat dead meat.

The natural diet of Gulls includes fish and other aquatic animals. Besides, it includes land animals like insects, worms, mice, and reptiles. However, Gulls are scavenging birds and can eat just about anything. They have been observed eating fruits, vegetables, and even chips, bread, and spaghetti. Gulls are one of the very few birds that can drink both salt and fresh water. The salt ducts and glands in their beaks act as desalination filters and help the birds to pass up excess salt.

Here are a few pointers about the eating patterns between Eagle and Seagull

• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Fish.
• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Frogs.
• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Lizards.
• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Snakes.
• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Turtles.
• Both Eagle and Seagull eat Squirrels.
• Gophers are commonly eaten by Eagle, but not by all Seagull.
• Baby Ducks are consumed by both Eagleand Seagull.
• Mice are eaten by both Eagle and Seagull.

Size of Eagle and Seagull?

When it comes to size, Eagle is a well-built bird. Its size depends on the species. The male is generally three feet tall with a wingspan of 6.6 feet. The female Eagles are larger with a height of 3.5 feet and wingspan of eight feet. The largest of all Eagle species is the Giant Philippine Eagle.. The size of Gulls depends on the species. The smaller ones are generally about one foot long, while the larger ones could measure about 1.5 feet. The average wingspan of the birds is 2.9-3.3 feet.

The weight of Eagles varies according to their species. The average weight of male Eagles is six to nine pounds, while it is 10-15 pounds for females. Steller’s Sea Eagle is the heaviest species with a weight of 14.75 pounds. while The weight of Gulls varies drastically for different species. The Little Gull weighs just about 4.2 ounces. On the other hand, the Great Black-beaked Gull weighs 3.8 pounds.

Where do Eagle and Seagull nest?

Eagles build huge nests on top of trees by weaving sticks and branches. Both male and female collaborate to construct the nests besides taking turns to incubate the eggs. It takes about 35 days for the eggs to hatch. The little ones fledge when they are 10-12 weeks old.

Gulls build their nests in their habitats. It could be at cliffs, coasts, islands, trees, and rooftops as long as they are safe, have food sources nearby, and inaccessible to predators. The nests are built using grass, twigs, and plant material. The eggs take about three weeks to hatch. The young ones are active and fledge when they are five to six weeks old.

How long do Eagle and Seagull live?

The lifespan of Eagles differs based on their species. On an average it is 14-35 years in the wild. The Eagle that lived the longest in the wild was 31 years and eight months old. It lived in North America. The longest-lived Eagle in captivity was in Europe. It lived for 46 years.

Gulls have a short lifespan. They live for 8-20 years in the wild. The longest-lived Gull was from Denmark and lived for 33 years and eight months.

Are Eagle or Seagull migratory birds?

Not all Eagles are migratory. If the weather, water, and food supply are favorable, they remain in the same territory. They migrate if food is in short supply or if winters become too cold for them. The place they migrate to depends on wind currents. Bald Eagles from Alaska usually migrate southward during August-January, while the ones near the Great Lake and in the Canadian region travel eastward. Eagles from Africa move around the Red Sea, passing by Suez, Egypt, and Israel. The ones in Europe are likely to move south towards sub-Saharan Africa. Within Asia, Eagles migrate from their breeding grounds during winter to places in China, Korea, Japan, and India.

Gulls are generally migratory. They move from northern hemispheres during winter to regions where there are abundant food sources. The birds from Canada and North America move to the tip of South America or parts of USA where the temperature is not freezing. The Black-Headed Gull migrates from UK to southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Similarly, Gulls migrate from China to Thailand, and from Russia and Siberia to the Indian subcontinent. Some Gulls living on French and Spanish coasts and other warmer regions do not migrate. Additionally, Gulls that have settled in cities where they get easy access to food from human refuse, safe nesting places in rooftops, and warmth from buildings may not migrate.

Do Eagle and Seagull fly in flocks?

A flock of Eagles is known as convocation. Eagles are social and sometimes roost in groups. However, they are known to fly and hunt solitarily. At times when they have to maintain altitude and stay within the thermal column, they fly in circles. Bald Eagles are observed to fly in groups during migration.

A flock of Gulls is called a squabble, screech, scavenging, or colony. Gulls live in groups, consisting of a few birds or even up to a thousand. They unite to drive away predators. Besides, they adopt different body language and sounds to communicate with each other. Gulls stay with their flocks almost throughout the year.

Are Eagle or Seagull protected?

Eagles are protected across the world. Killing, hunting, or capturing them is a punishable offence. It is also illegal to destroy their nests or trade the birds.

Seagulls, their nests, and eggs are protected under various laws across the world. Harming these in any way is considered a punishable offence.

Are Eagle or Seagull endangered?

All Eagle species are not endangered. Bald Eagles were once endangered in the USA, however conservation laws have helped a recovery in their population and they are no longer endangered. Bald Eagles population however faces threat from hunting, trapping, loss of habitat, and use of pesticides. The Great Philippine Eagles are an endangered species with only about 400 of them remaining.

Some species of Gulls are endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Chinese Black-Headed Gull and Relict Gull are vulnerable to extinction, while Heermann’s Gull and White-Eyed Gull are threatened. The population of Glaucous-winged Gull has declined by 50 percent in Georgia Basin, while the numbers of Gulls in Canada and the UK are also falling drastically. This has been attributed to loss of habitat, pollutants, and poor food quality.

Can Eagle and Seagull fly?

Eagles are remarkable flyers. They have large and widespread wings. The bird uses thermals to soar high and fly without flapping its wings. Eagles fly at a speed of 20-30 miles an hour. They are capable of flying up to 125 miles without stopping. During migration, Bald Eagles travel about 225 miles in a day.

Gulls are highly skilled in flying. They have expert control on wind and thermals, and can execute complex manoeuvres. They can fly at speeds of up to 28 miles per hour. The birds fly extremely long distances during migration. Gulls are capable of flying during the night as well. When there are changes in air pressure due to an oncoming storm or earthquake, Gulls gather in circles to regulate their focus and balance.

Can Eagle and Seagull swim?

Eagles can swim, although they are not regular swimmers. When an Eagle captures a prey in water and it is too heavy to carry, or it is unable to fly carrying it, it swims by using its feathers like oars. However, it has to get out of water quickly as the feathers become wet and heavy.

Gulls are also adept swimmers. They can live comfortably both on land and water. They have webbed feet and can swim well both in sea and fresh waters. However, they do not swim too far in the seas. They usually swim in search of food.

Mating patterns among Eagle and Seagull

Eagles reach sexual maturity at the age of four or five years, when their head and tail become white. In the breeding season, Eagles perform many mating rituals. The prominent among them is the Cartwheel Courtship Flight or the Death Spiral, where two Eagles fly high, clasp each other’s talons and spin down while challenging one another to let go of the grasp. This is a display of their strength and arrogance. The male and female partners build the nest together. The female generally lays one to three eggs at a time. Both partners take turns to incubate the eggs.

Gulls start mating when they are about four years old. The heads of the Gulls are in pure white, black, brown, or gray color in the breeding season. They are known to mate both inland and on coasts, however copulation occurs on land at breeding sites. The courtship involves complex dances, rituals, and articulations. The Gulls mate until the female can lay an egg. They build their nests in colonies. Both male and female partners incubate the eggs for about 30 days.

When is the mating season for Eagle and Seagull ?

There is generally no particular mating season. Eagles mate throughout the year. However, in the case of Eagles that migrate, mating takes place as soon as the partners return to their nesting place.

The breeding season for Gulls is usually March-July every year. The birds gather at breeding colonies few weeks before the onset of the season.

Do Eagle and Seagull mate for life?

Eagles mate for life. The partners are faithful to each other and stay monogamous until one of them dies.

Gulls are monogamous and stay with the same partner throughout their lives. They even return to the same breeding site every time.

How do Eagle and Seagull sleep?

Eagles sleep either while standing or laying down. If they have to sleep while standing, there is a locking mechanism in their feet that allows them to stay in one position. In winters, Eagles roost in communities and on large trees to maintain body heat. During the breeding season, they sleep closer to the nest to keep guard.

Gulls generally sleep during the night. However, they are scavengers and are known to be awake and flying even in the night. In natural habitats, they sleep on beaches, rivers, and lakes. The city-dwellers sleep in parks and rooftops. Gulls usually roost in groups to stay safe from predators.

Can Eagle and Seagull be eaten?

People from different cultures are known to have consumed Eagles. The practice still exists among some tribes although the bird is protected and killing it for food is prohibited. In the USA, a few hundreds of tribes are allowed to request for a permit to kill Eagles.

Gulls were consumed in the past by Inuit, Alaskan, Hare, and other cultures for survival. The meat of the birds is not considered appetizing. Further, it is illegal to hunt and eat Gulls under modern laws.

Can you hunt Eagle or Seagull?

Hunting Eagles for falconry was a common practice in ancient times. However, modern conservation and protection laws do not allow hunting and killing of the birds.

Cultures in the northern hemisphere have hunted Seagulls in large numbers in bygone times. Some cultures have killed the birds for food. However, Gulls are not permitted to be hunted under existing laws.

Can you feed Eagle or Seagull?

Feeding birds in public places is discouraged in many countries like the USA, Singapore, and Dubai. In captivity, Eagles are generally fed with rats, rabbits, chicken, and meat.

It is illegal to feed Gulls in public in some countries like the USA and Singapore. In countries like the UK, France, and India where feeding Gulls is allowed, the governments request the people to not feed processed food to the birds as it will harm their health. Gulls are scavengers, but it is advised to feed them healthy food like fish, worms, mice, and meat.