Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

Family
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, Skimmers)

Size
61 - 68 cm

First Described (Guide)
Naumann, 1840

Habitat
Rocky coasts, estuaries, occasionally beaches and especially harbors.

Range (Guide)

Canada (B) (NB) (P), Japan, Mexico, Russia (Asian), USA (B).

Vagrant to China (mainland), Hong Kong (China), Morocco, Spain.

Commander Is east through Aleutians, Pribilofs and southern Bering Sea to southern Alaska, then south-east to northern Oregon. Winters from Bering Sea to northern Japan and Baja California.

Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.

Population
Estimated population is 570,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Fish, marine invertebrates, carrion, offal, bird eggs and small mammals. Feeding is via plunge-diving, diving from the surface and dropping shellfish on rocks.

Voice
A 'nyaao' or 'kwa kwa'.

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (56)...)

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) [XC841311]
by Niels Krabbe from British Columbia: Galley Bay, Desolation Sound, Canada (begging call)

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) [XC322908]
by Andy Birch from Seward, Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States (call)

Subspecies
Fossil from late Pleistocene, prehistoric specimens from Alaska and California. Closely linked with Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) and European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), and hybridizes with both.

Hybridizes freely with Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) from southern British Columbia to Oregon, and by some authors treated as conspecific.

No subspecies.

References
See References.

Files:

More Information

BirdLife International

For more information about the Glaucous-winged Gull see... Show Articles

BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Articles about the Glaucous-winged Gull

If you would like to read any articles about the Glaucous-winged Gull...

Show Articles (0)

No Pictures of Glaucous-winged Gull

If Birdpedia has no pictures of Glaucous-winged Gull or you would like to see more, then try the following...

Show External Images from BING

From BING (10)

No Videos of Glaucous-winged Gull

If Birdpedia has no videos of Glaucous-winged Gull or you would like to see more, then try the following..

Show External Videos

From BING (0)