Among the palest large gulls — adults nearly white.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The glaucous gull is a large gull, the second-largest gull in the world. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name hyperboreus is Latin for "northern" from the Ancient Greek Huperboreoi people from the far north "Glaucous" is from Latin glaucus and denotes the grey colour of the gull. An older English name for this species is burgomaster.
Source: Wikipedia — Glaucous gull Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Big, very pale gull with white (not black) wingtips, a pale gray back, pink legs, and a heavy yellow bill with a red spot. Immatures pale coffee-and-cream with a pink, black-tipped bill.
Similar species. Iceland Gull is smaller with a smaller bill and a rounder head; Glaucous is bulkier with a fierce expression and a longer bill. Neither shows black wingtips.
Voice. A harsh, deep laughing call, hoarser than a Herring Gull.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Omnivorous: fish, invertebrates, scavenged food, eggs.
Behavior. A large pale gull of the high Arctic that winters southward along coasts and at landfills; an aggressive predator of eggs, chicks, and small birds.
§ Range
Arctic; winters across northern US coasts
§ Habitat
Coastal Arctic
§ Threats
Climate change, pollution.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the glaucous gull is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Arctic conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Glaucous gull
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Larus hyperboreus
- IUCN Red List — search for Larus hyperboreus
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Larus hyperboreus
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
