Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Summary 4
The Glaucus-winged gull is a rare visitor to Ivvavik and so if you think you see this species please take a photo and upload it to iNaturalist or send it to yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca. We would love to expand our knowledge about this beautiful bird.
Morphology 5
Adults have a body length of 61-69cm/24-27in, and a wingspan of around 137cm/54in, males larger than females. Adults are white with a pale grey back (hence specific name glaucescens: Latin for greying, from Greek glaukos, blue-grey). Wings are also pale grey, with small white patches. Large, heavy yellow bill with red spot. Skin around eyes purplish pink, iris silver to yellow powdered with brown, giving a dark appearance. Juvenile birds have a dark bill, and mottled grey plumage (Hoffman et al. 1978; Godfrey 1986).
Habitat and ecology 6
This species can be found in coastal areas and over shelf waters. Its diet is comprised of fish, various marrine invertebrates, carrion, offal, bird eggs and small mammals, with the exact composition varying depending on locality. It uses a variety of feeding methods, including plunge-diving, diving from the surface and dropping shellfish on rocks. It arrives at breeding colonies between February and March, and will nest on a wide variety of substrates including rocky islands, cliffs, inland lakes, city parks and buildings. It is usually colonial but can be solitary. Some birds remain on their territories over winter, but others will migrate to the southern edges of its range (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Jon. D. Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_d_anderson/14072575520/
- (c) Jon. D. Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_d_anderson/14089333177/
- (c) Mathesont, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/44055945@N06/5365407079/
- (c) Yukon Conservation Data Centre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
- Adapted by Yukon Conservation Data Centre from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31400782
- 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/31109873
More Info
Range Map
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Color | grey, white, yellow |
|---|---|
| Animal | Bird |
| Bird | gull |
