> >In the cartoon film "Beavis and Butthead Do America", there's a hippy-type
> >teacher playing guitar and singing a song in praise of "lesbian seagulls".
> >I think this is a reference to genuine observations of female California
> >(?) Gulls nesting together, apparently in increasing numbers. Toxins
> >messing with their hormones or something. Anybody know the facts?

I had an ornithology professor tell us that some studies suggest
these female birds work together to raise a combined clutch,
resulting in a higher survival rate for the birds. He mentioned it
happening with California, Western, and Glaucous-winged Gulls, if
memory serves me. There is also some belief that this is an
adaptation to the encroachment of people and loss of nesting sites.
Has anyone heard differently in the last few years?
jw
Jane Westervelt
Moscow, ID