Black-billed Gulls .....

..... in Christchurch's CBD

I couldn't wait to get into town today to try to photograph these wonderful birds. Yes, town, in the CBD no less. 


The black-billed gull is the most endangered gull in the world. Although it is usually thought of as a seagull, this gull is found on major rivers, lakes, and farmland in the breeding season and generally prefers estuaries and coastal areas outside of the breeding season. You are less likely to see them in urban areas than other gulls, as they aren't big on scavenging. It is endemic to New Zealand.
NZBirdsOnline

These birds are very much at home in Christchurch's CBD and are attracting visitors. You can see them through barred spaces and it's easy viewing. There are red-billed gulls too, but these Tarāpuka gulls are actually easier to see. They are nesting in rows, on the pillars and beams left when the PWC building was demolished. Below, the ground is flooded, and today many birds were splashing around, trying to keep cool. Some of the nesting birds had beaks wide open, trying to keep cooler.

I've put an extra image into Extras (had to delete some Extras to give myself some 'spares') which shows some of the gulls nesting.

What characters! There's a lot of talk about their being protected.
I did see some tiny babies, born to a red-billed gull. So sweet.