Glaucous-winged Gull
Encyclopedia
The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull
residing from the western coast of Alaska
to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California
. It is a close relative of the Western Gull
and frequently hybridizes with it, resulting in identification problems—particularly in the Puget Sound
area. Glaucous-winged Gulls are thought to live about 15 years. One individual, notable because he had only one leg, lived at least 30.
The Glaucous-winged Gull is rarely found far from saltwater
. It is a large bird and around the same size as a Herring Gull
. It measures 50–60 cm (19.7–23.6 in) in length and 120–143 cm (47.2–56.3 in), with a body mass of 730–1400 g (1.6–3.1 lb). with a white head, neck, breast, and belly, a white tail, and pearly-gray wings and back. The term glaucous
describes its colouration. The ends of its wings are white-tipped. Its legs are pink and the beak is yellow with a red subterminal spot. The forehead is somewhat flat. During the winter, the head and nape appears dusky, and the subterminal spot becomes dark. Young birds are brown or gray with black beaks, and take four years to reach full plumage.
The Glaucous-winged Gull nests in the summer, and each pair produces two or three chicks which fledge
at six weeks.
It feeds along the coast, scavenging for dead or weak animals, fish, mussel
s and scraps.
Its cry is a low-pitched "kak-kak-kak" or "wow", or a more high-pitched wailing.
It is an exceptionally rare vagrant to the Western Palearctic region, with records from Morocco
, the Canary Islands
and, most recently, from Britain
in the winters of 2006/2007 and 2008/2009. The 2008/2009 record was from Saltholme Pools, Cleveland, and attracted hundreds of twitchers.
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
residing from the western coast of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is a close relative of the Western Gull
Western Gull
The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed gull that lives on the western coast of North America. It was previously considered conspecific, the same species, with the Yellow-footed Gull of the Gulf of California...
and frequently hybridizes with it, resulting in identification problems—particularly in the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area. Glaucous-winged Gulls are thought to live about 15 years. One individual, notable because he had only one leg, lived at least 30.
The Glaucous-winged Gull is rarely found far from saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
. It is a large bird and around the same size as a Herring Gull
Herring Gull
The European Herring Gull is a large gull , and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of western Europe. It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic states...
. It measures 50–60 cm (19.7–23.6 in) in length and 120–143 cm (47.2–56.3 in), with a body mass of 730–1400 g (1.6–3.1 lb). with a white head, neck, breast, and belly, a white tail, and pearly-gray wings and back. The term glaucous
Glaucous
Glaucous is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the Glaucous Gull , Glaucous-winged Gull , Glaucous Macaw , and Glaucous...
describes its colouration. The ends of its wings are white-tipped. Its legs are pink and the beak is yellow with a red subterminal spot. The forehead is somewhat flat. During the winter, the head and nape appears dusky, and the subterminal spot becomes dark. Young birds are brown or gray with black beaks, and take four years to reach full plumage.
Fledge
Fledge is the stage in a young bird's life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. It also describes the act of a chick's parents raising it to a fully grown state...
at six weeks.
It feeds along the coast, scavenging for dead or weak animals, fish, mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s and scraps.
Its cry is a low-pitched "kak-kak-kak" or "wow", or a more high-pitched wailing.
It is an exceptionally rare vagrant to the Western Palearctic region, with records from Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and, most recently, from Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the winters of 2006/2007 and 2008/2009. The 2008/2009 record was from Saltholme Pools, Cleveland, and attracted hundreds of twitchers.
Identification
- King, Jon (2007) Identification of Glaucous-winged Gull: a photo-gallery Birding WorldBirding WorldBirding World is a monthly birding magazine published in the United Kingdom. It is the magazine of the Bird Information Service, based at Cley next the Sea, Norfolk....
20(2):64-72
External links
- Detailed year to year plumage of the Glaucous-winged Gull
- Glaucous-winged Gull at Animal Diversity Web