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Name: Ian
Status: other
Grade: other
Location: WA
Country: USA
Date: Spring 2012
Question:
Why are so many large sea birds roughly the same size?


Replies:
They really aren't. The more common gulls range from 16" to 30" in length. Among the largest are greater black-backed, which next to a common herring gull is noticeably larger. Laughing gulls of the Atlantic coast are not much more than half as large. Judging size at any distance is very difficult, which might easily lead to a perception of birds being more alike in size than they really are.

J. Elliott

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