Young gulls’ drab plumage may help them avoid adult attacks ^4.2%

Science News - By Hannah Thomasy - 7/1/2026, 5:00 PM

Overconfidence Bias 15.2% - Representativeness Heuristic 15% - Appeal to Authority 13.9%

While many bird species go from egg to adult in months, some seabirds spend years in a sort of awkward adolescent phase, sporting darker, drabber plumage than the adults. In American herring gulls, this immature coloring can function as a social signal, helping youngsters avoid aggression from breeding adults, researchers report June 4... more