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Deepseawaters
Home Deep
Sea BirdsGlaucous-winged
Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Name: Glaucous-winged
Gull
Scientific Name: Larus glaucesens
Description
Bulkier
gull. Head, neck, chest, upperparts and tail all white; scapulars
and upper wings pale gray. Yellow-orange legs and feet and
a yellow to yellow-orange beak. Characteristic red spot on
bottom tip of beak.
Glaucous-winged
Gulls are widely distributed in coastal areas and
are therefore one of our most familiar seabirds. Almost every
beach, harbor or fishing boat located anywhere from the state
of Washington to the Bering Sea will occasionally have a Glaucous-winged
Gull sitting on it, or soaring gracefully above it.
Part of the secret to their success is that they are flexible
in their choice of foods.
Habitat
Near
salt water in bays, estuaries, harbors, city parks, and on
beaches, mud flats, dumps, barren islands and open ocean.
Rarely found in fresh water. Found in the same habitat year-round.
Diet
Species
omnivorous. Diet consists of a wide variety of fish, marine
invertebrates, garbage, and carrion.
Identification
Tips
Length: 22 inches
Large gull
Very large
bill with distinct gonydeal angle
Flat forehead
and large bill give "mean" appearance
Adult Alternate
Bright yellow
bill with red spot at gonys
Pink legs
Dark eyes
White head,
neck, breast and belly
Pale gray mantle
White tertial
crescent
Pale gray primaries
(do not contrast with back) have white tips
White tail
Adult Basic
Like adult alternate
but blurry brown streaking and spotting on head and nape
Juvenile/First-year
Black
bill
Wholly
pale brown body plumage
Pale
brown primaries do not contrast with body plumage
Pale
brown tail does not contrast with back
Black
legs quickly become pink
Second-year:
Black
bill with pink base
Pale
brown head, neck, upper breast, belly, primaries and tail
Pale
gray back
Third-year
Like
adult basic, but often lacks adult bill pattern, wing pattern,
and often retains a partial tail band
Similar Species
Adults
of all other species have primaries that contrast with the
back color. Glaucous-winged is one of the
largest and "meanest-looking" gulls and can often be distinguished
just by shape. Young birds also show no contrast between the
body and primaries. First-winter plumage is very similar to
Thayer' Gull, which has slightly darker primaries and secondaries
and a smaller bill (with shallower gonydeal angle), rounder
head and smaller size. Glaucous-winged and
Western gulls hydridize extensively so beware
of intermediate-plumaged hybrids.
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