Glaucous-winged Gull

Overview

The glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) is a large, white-headed gull found primarily along the western coast of North America. It is characterized by its silver-grey wings and is often found in marine and coastal environments, rarely straying far from the ocean.

Identification

• White head, neck, breast, and belly with silver-grey wings and back that are darker than the Glaucous gull but paler than the Herring gull.
• Large size with a body mass averaging 1,010 g, featuring pink legs and a yellow bill with a red subterminal spot.
• Typically has very dark irises surrounded by pink orbital skin, while winter plumage shows a mottled pattern on the head and nape.
• Emits a low-pitched "kak-kak-kak" or "wow" call, or occasionally a high-pitched wailing sound.

Habitat

Resident to the western coast of Alaska to Washington, with breeding sites in the northwest coast of Alaska and the Russian Far East. During winter, it can be found along the coasts of California, Oregon, Baja California, and Sonora, as well as the Puget Sound region.

Diet

Feeds along the coast by scavenging for dead or weak animals, fish, mussels, and scraps. In urban areas, it is known for accepting food from people and pecking open unprotected garbage bags to find edibles.

Did you know?

The species frequently hybridizes with the Western Gull to form the Olympic Gull, a hybrid that may actually have higher breeding success in intermediate habitats due to bounded hybrid superiority.