Iceland Gull

Overview

The Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides) is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. Despite its name, it does not breed in Iceland, where it is only seen during winter.

Identification

• A medium-sized gull that is relatively slender and light in weight.
• Smaller and thinner-billed than the very large glaucous gull, and usually smaller than the herring gull.
• Adults in the nominate subspecies are pale grey above with a yellowish-green bill, while immatures are very pale grey with a bill that is more extensively dark than that of the glaucous gull.
• The call is a "laughing" cry similar to the herring gull but higher pitched.

Habitat

This species breeds colonially or singly on coasts and cliffs in Canada and Greenland. It is migratory, wintering in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and the northernmost states of the eastern United States, as well as in the interior of North America as far west as the western Great Lakes.

Diet

As an omnivore, it eats fish, molluscs, offal, scraps, and eggs. It forages while flying by picking up food at or just below the water's surface, and also feeds while walking or swimming. Its scavenging habits lead it to frequent garbage dumps, sewage outlets, and places where fish are cleaned.

Did you know?

The bird is named after Iceland, yet it does not breed there; it is only present in that country during the winter months.