Belcher's Gull
Larus belcheri
Rather large, dark-backed gull along the Humboldt Current coast. Fairly common to locally common, favoring fishing harbors, beaches, and river mouths; ranges over inshore coastal waters and not found inland. All ages have a broad, clean-cut black tail band and a red-and-black bill tip. Breeding adult has clean white head and lacks the white spots in wingtip seen on the larger and bulkier Kelp Gull. Immature and nonbreeding plumages have a distinctive dark hood and yellowish legs.
Identification
Belcher's gull grows to a length of about 49 centimetres (19 in). The sexes are similar in appearance and in the breeding season, the adult has a white head and very pale grey neck and underparts. The mantle and back are greyish-black and the tail is white with a broad black subterminal band and a white trailing edge. The wing coverts and primaries are black and the secondaries dark grey with white tips. The eye is black, the bill yellow with a distinctive red and black tip, and the legs and feet yellow. Outside the breeding season the head is dark brown with a white ring surrounding the eye. The juvenile is mottled brown and white and attains the adult plumage during its third year. Belcher's gull can be confused with the slightly larger kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), but that species has a small white tip on its otherwise black wing and lacks the black tail band found on Belcher's gull.
Taxonomy
Genus: Larus; Family: Laridae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Larus belcheri
- Authority
- Vigors, 1829
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Larus
Range and habitat
Belcher's gull is found on the Pacific coast of South America. Its range extends from northern Peru to northern Chile in the area influenced by the Humboldt Current and its habitat includes rocky shores, bays and offshore islands. It ventures several kilometres offshore to forage and also feeds on rocky shores when the tide is out. It is a non-migratory species.
- Breeding range
- SA : w coast and islets of South America from n Peru to n Chile
- Non-breeding range
- some move to coasts of n Ecuador and c Chile
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: rising.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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