Hamburg and Bremen are two German city states using the term “Hansestad” in their official names. The term is a reflection of their association to the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive alliance established in 1358. Founded in Lübeck, the Hanseatic League eventually stretched across the North and Baltic Seas.
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Larus argentatus - A typical male European herring gull is 60 to 65 centimeters long and weighs 1 to 1.5 kilograms; females are smaller. Wingspans range from 125 to 155 centimeters. The populations from the extreme northern range will migrate to the coastal areas of Northern Spain and Portugal, but most herring gulls are year-long residents. There is a loose pecking order within flocks with males having first choice of food or prevailing in settling boundary disputes and females having the final say in choosing nesting sites.
