| Glaucous Gull | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Larus |
| Species: | Larus hyperboreus |
A huge gull of the frozen North, the Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) breeds across most of the high Arctic.
Description[]
Measuring 62-69 cm (24.5-29 in) in length and 150-162 cm (59-64 in) in wingspan, the Glaucous Gull is one of the largest gull species in the Northern Hemisphere. A four year gull, this species appears very pale in all plumages. The adult is mostly white with pale grey wings and mantle, yellow eyes, a yellow bill with a red spot, and pink legs. Its head is streaked with brown in winter. Third-winter birds are similar to adults but with a dark smudge on the bill and some buff on the body, while first-winter birds may be pale buff or white, with a bi-colored bill.
Voice[]
Its voice is deep and hoarse, similar to the Herring Gull's.
Behaviour[]
Feeding[]
This bird is an active predator at seabird nesting colonies. It will walk into colonies and take eggs and chicks left unprotected, and will fly above a foraging arctic fox or person disturbing the colony and take eggs and chicks that are exposed during the disturbance. It will also harass other seabirds in order to steal prey from them, a behaviour known as kleptoparasitism. It is capable of swallowing an adult Little Auk whole. Its diet also includes fish and carrion.
Breeding[]
Its breeding habits are similar to those of other gulls. The Glaucous Gull is a monogamous bird that breeds once a year, between May and August, laying 2-3 greenish eggs with dark spots.
Distribution and habitat[]
The Glaucous Gull lives along the northern coasts of Alaska, Canada, Iceland and Siberia, nesting mainly in rocky areas. It winters farther north than most gulls, and it is seldom seen south of its breeding range, but it does turn up as far south as California and Virginia.
First and second-year Glaucous Gulls appear to move farther southward than adults, and most individuals seen in the southern portion of the winter range are immatures.