Territorial threats
Territory
The nesting season begins with a male staking out a territory which he defends against other males. Here you can see an intruder threatening the occupant by leaning forward, lowering his wings and approaching the territorial boundary.
Be gone!
The owner of the territory becomes enraged and responds with a counter-threat: He stretches his neck upward, bends his head down, and directs his dark face at the intruding gull. The bill is pointing downward – ready to strike!
Self-assured
A well-established territorial owner is sure of himself on home grounds. His upstretched body language expresses a serious threat without a hint of doubt or uncertainty. The territory's owner usually wins these border clashes.
Threat and hesitation
The intruding gull displays a milder threat behaviour. He is, after all, in alien territory.
