entry smap 28 legs and feet: herring gull

the bird's knees are hidden in the feathers and what looks to be a knee here is actually more an ankle. i wanted to see the leg joints in action but
taking bird photos can be hard on one's patience. at times when you need something on demand fast it may be worthwhile paying your models. so i put out some chicken skin from the biryani my wife was making and within minutes i had the photos i was looking for a real win-win situation

coming in for a landing we can clearly see the ankle joint functions more like a human elbow rather than our ankle. while the forelimbs are wings, the feet have to perform some of the functions of hands.

here we can see the joints in action taking off with the payload, the toes pressed down and the ankles bent pointing back giving the jump when taking flight.

the leg position slightly further along in the take-off
this is a cropped photo i used earlier this winter. to survive the cold gulls have awesome anatomical adaptations which prevent heat loss in the lower legs and rewarm the blood in the veins coming from the feet.

this photo is my contest entry
gulls are able to stand on uneven surfaces such as the rounded top of our picket fence. the toes are multijointed which enables them to grab hold of the fence but they are not suited to landing in trees. i am not sure what they use the back toe for. often it is just hanging in the air. notice the veins in the palmate webbing.

the legs of an immature gull walking on asphalt

many birds walk on their toes but gulls like most swimmers use the entire foot.

here's a couple of close-ups of the feet. i wouldn't say they are the most aesthetic feature of the bird but the functions they perform are nonetheless amazing.