Guest blog by volunteer guide David Staff
Last Sunday an unusual sight was to be seen on East Scrape at RSPB Minsmere.
A pink Seagull gripped the visitor attention for most of the afternoon.
A Black-headed Gull, whose white feathers showed a glorious flamingo orange pink colour.
I decided to find out what was going on.
Some gull and tern species do commonly show a pink flush, particularly in the breeding season, Little Gull and Roseate Tern for example. But, it is not usually so pronounced on a Black-headed Gull, and this bird really stood out of the crowd.
It seems that the colour comes from the bird eating foods rich in carotenoids. Yellow, orange or red pigments found in crustaceans, certain seeds, and of course, carrots!
Sunday's pink Black-headed Gull (photo by Andy Flack)
It is thought that the bird actually anoints itself with the colour as it goes through its daily preening. The oil from the birds preen gland having been coloured by the rich amounts of carotenoid foods the bird has consumed.
Some have argued that this cannot be the case. Claiming that the colouration is uniform and having assumed that birds only preen themselves by using their bills, there must therefore be places they cannot reach? If you watch birds preening you will notice that those hard to reach places are not left unkempt. They use their feet too when preening and stretch their heads over their backs and roll the top of their heads, chins, cheeks, necks, over the preen gland and all areas are kept spic-and span.
Some have also suggested that male birds “pink” themselves on purpose in order to appear more attractive to females. Such “nuptial make up” is more likely to be coincidental as birds choose particularly nutrient rich foods (some being rich in carotene) leading up to the breeding season, the “pinking” is therefore a by-product.
However, there is some evidence that “pink” birds are indeed in the very peak of condition and therefore females would find them attractive as mates. Carotenoids are also super rich in antioxidants which could also help in maintaining top condition.
So, next time you see a colony of Gulls. Don’t pass them by, scan through them. You might just get a “Pinky”
The pink may not be as obvious on this bird, but comparing it to the more distant "typical" Black-headed Gull clearing shows some staining of the breast feathers (photo by Ian Barthorpe)
[Did you see any pink gulls at Minsmere? Have you seen one elsewhere? Do you have a better photo? We'd love to see one if you do.]