Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Very large, pale gull. Adults are mostly white with a very pale gray back; note pure white wingtips. Immatures are white or pale tan with light brown markings; also look for the distinctive pink bill with sharply demarcated black tip. Most similar to Iceland Gull but larger, larger-billed, and usually even paler; Iceland typically shows more dark markings on wingtips. Also note shorter wingtips on Glaucous that do not extend far past tip of tail. Breeds in the High Arctic; winters farther south in a variety of habitats, rarely far from a large body of water. Often seen in small numbers mixed with flocks of other large gulls. Hybridizes with Glaucous-winged Gull and Herring Gull in parts of range; hybrids can show any mix of intermediate traits and are sometimes best left unidentified.
Identification
This is a large and powerful gull, second-largest of all gull species and very pale in all plumage, with no black on either the wings or the tail. Adults are pale grey above, with a thick, yellow bill. Juveniles are very pale grey with a pink and black bill. This species is considerably larger, bulkier, and thicker-billed than the similar Iceland gull, and can sometimes equal the size of the great black-backed gull, the oft-titled largest gull species. In some areas, glaucous gulls are about the same weight as great black-backed gulls or even heavier, and their maximum weight is greater. They can weigh from 960 to 2,700 g (2.12 to 5.95 lb), with the sexes previously reported to average 1.55 kg (3.4 lb) in males and 1.35 kg (3.0 lb) in females. At the colony on Coats Island in Canada, the gulls are nearly 15% heavier than some other known populations, with a mean weight 1.86 kg (4.1 lb) in five males and 1.49 kg (3.3 lb) in seven females. One other study claimed even higher weights for glaucous gulls, as on Wrangel Island, 9 males reportedly averaged 2.32 kg (5.1 lb) and 2.1 kg (4.6 lb) in six females, which if accurate, would make the glaucous gull the heaviest gull and shorebird in the world if not (as far as is known) the largest in length on average. These gulls range from 55 to 77 cm (22 to 30 in) in length and can span 132 to 170 cm (52 to 67 in), with some specimens possibly attaining 182 cm (72 in), across the wings. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40.8 to 50.1 cm (16.1 to 19.7 in), the bill is 4.9 to 6.9 cm (1.9 to 2.7 in) and the tarsus is 6 to 7.7 cm (2.4 to 3.0 in). They take four years to reach maturity.<p>The call is a "laughing" cry similar to that of the herring gull, but deeper.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Larus hyperboreus
- Authority
- Gunnerus, 1767
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Larus
Range and habitat
This gull breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winters south to shores of the Holarctic.It is migratory, wintering from in the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans as far south as the British Isles and northernmost states of the United States, also on the Great Lakes. A few birds sometimes reach the southern USA and northern Mexico.
- Breeding range
- PAL, NA : circumpolar Arctic coasts
- Non-breeding range
- coasts of Hudson Bay to ne Canada, Greenland, Iceland, nw Europe (n North Atlantic); Sea of Okhotsk, Japan, sw Alaska and sw Canada; widely vagrant farther s and inland
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
This species of seagull breeds colonially or singly on coasts and cliffs, making a lined nest on the ground or cliff. Normally, two to four light brown eggs with dark brown splotches are laid.<p>These are omnivores like most Larus gulls, and they eat fish, insects, molluscs, starfish, offal, scraps, eggs, small birds, small mammals, and carrion, as well as seeds, berries, and grains.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant
Pogonotriccus lanyoni
Rare flycatcher known only from a few sites in the Colombian Andes, mainly in the northern part of the central range. It is fairly small and mostly yellow, with a gray crown and broad, yellow wingbars. Yellow and gray smudges on ears can be very indistinct. Often confused with the much more common Yellow-olive Flycatcher, but bill is narrower, wingbars are brighter yellow, and voice is different. Typical song is a short burst that starts off as a dry rattle and then morphs into airy squeaking. Inhabits humid forest and sometimes joins mixed species flocks.
Red-throated Wryneck
Jynx ruficollis
Odd and distinctive member of the woodpecker family. Shows a rufous throat in all plumages, though reduced in juveniles. The underparts vary geographically: they are completely rufous in Ethiopian birds, and the throat is barred in some populations. Flight is undulating, like a typical woodpecker. Found locally in cultivated areas, gardens, woodland, forest edge, and grassland with some trees. Usually in pairs. Call is a loud, ringing series of “kwee” notes. Similar to Eurasian Wryneck, but easily separated by the rufous throat.
Elegant Crescentchest
Melanopareia elegans
A striking little bird, shaped like a robust gnatcatcher. Note the bold black-and-buff head pattern, black chest fading to rufous flanks, and bright rufous on the wings. Tail is long and narrow. Unmistakable if seen well, but compare with Marañon Crescentchest, which has silvery wing edges and more richly-colored underparts. Secretive; singles or pairs skulk in dense thickets and understory of dry woodland and second growth, up to 2,300 m. More often detected by song; listen for a series of loud, popping chip notes.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.