Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Vagrant to Ivvavik 3
This species is considered a vagrant to Ivvavik National Park, meaning that it is very rarely seen. If you see this species and manage to take a photo, please upload it to iNaturalist and/or send it to us directly at yukoncdc@gov.yk.ca. You will be helping us expand the scientific knowledge of this bird.
Size 4
Length: 58-64 cm/ 23-25 in, Wingspan: 125-130 cm/ 49-51 in
Habitat and ecology 5
Northernmost populations of this species are strongly migratory whereas others (e.g. in Greenland) only disperse locally along the coast after breeding (del Hoyo et al. 1996). The species breeds from mid-May to July (Richards 1990) in solitary pairs or in small single- or mixed-species colonies (del Hoyo et al. 1996) of up to several hundred pairs (Snow and Perrins 1998). In late-July after breeding the species may move to coastal feeding areas, the departure from the breeding grounds occurring in August or September (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
The species inhabits rocky coasts and fjords with steep cliffs (Richards 1990, offshore stacks and undisturbed low islands for nesting on, also foraging in the intertidal zone (del Hoyo et al. 1996). After breeding the species remains in similar habitats (Snow and Perrins 1998) but often disperses to harbours, refuse tips, sewage outfalls and inland reservoirs, although it generally avoids freshwater habitats (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Its diet consists predominantly of small fish (e.g. salmon Salmo spp., sprat Sprattus spp. and herring Clupea spp.) and marine invertebrates as well as bird eggs and chicks (del Hoyo et al. 1996) (especially of Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla) (Snow and Perrins 1998), seeds and fruits (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
The nest is constructed of dry grass, seaweed and moss on large, flat ledges of steep coastal cliffs greater than 100-200 m in height (Richards 1990, del Hoyo et al. 1996), or on offshore stacks or on the ground on undisturbed low coastal islands (del Hoyo et al. 1996).
Sources and Credits
- (c) Tom Benson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/40928097@N07/8487233724/
- (c) Tom Benson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/40928097@N07/8487233998/
- (c) Yukon Conservation Data Centre, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
- (c) Gulf of Maine - CoML, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/8081590
- (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31109877
More Info
Range Map
iNaturalist.ca Map
| Bird | gull |
|---|---|
| Color | grey, white |
| Animal | Bird |
