Summary ³

This species a long-distance migrant (Olsen and Larsson 2003) that migrates south and west after breeding (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Olsen and Larsson 2003). It arrives on its wintering grounds between late-October and December and remains there until April (Alderfer 2006). The timing of breeding is inadequately known but laying has been recorded in early-June, with the species nesting in small colonies (del Hoyo et al. 1996) of 20 to 200 pairs (Gaston 1991) often near nesting Larus hyperboreus (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It is gregarious throughout the year (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Olsen and Larsson 2003) and may occur in large flocks at favoured sites (Sibley 2003) during the winter (Olsen and Larsson 2003), although it usually occurs in small numbers amongst larger flocks of other gull species (Sibley 2003). It may also forage behind fishing boats with other species of gull (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

For breeding the species requires steep (Gaston 1991), coastal cliffs (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Olsen and Larsson 2003) up to 3 km inland (Gaston 1991) along Arctic shores and rocky islands (Godfrey 1979, del Hoyo et al. 1996). During the winter the species frequents a variety of habitats surrounding coastal shores and estuaries (Alderfer 2006), often foraging around fishing harbours, refuse dumps and settlements (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Olsen and Larsson 2003). It may also occur on inland freshwater lakes (Godfrey 1979, Olsen and Larsson 2003), rivers (Godfrey 1979), flooded land and occasionally agricultural fields (Olsen and Larsson 2003) especially when on migration (Godfrey 1979).

Non-breeders are known to take refuse and offal from around settlements during the breeding season, but the diet of nesting pairs and nestlings is largely unknown (del Hoyo et al. 1996). During the winter the species takes fish, marine invertebrates and offal (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

The nest is a cup (del Hoyo et al. 1996) of grass or other available vegetation placed on a rocky cliff ledge (Godfrey 1979) usually on the coast (Godfrey 1979, del Hoyo et al. 1996, Olsen and Larsson 2003) or surrounding a near-coastal freshwater site (Godfrey 1979). The species shows a preference for large cliff ledges 920 cm² in area (on average), and often nests on cliffs below colonies of Larus hyperboreus (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Guy Monty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/82143856@N00/5512814474
2. (c) Maggie.Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/slomaggie/4090099769/
3. Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31109993

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