What does the glaucous gull eat?

Where do glaucous gulls nest?

Where other gulls or seabirds gather, Glaucous Gulls tend to be dominant, raising the wings and calling to warn them before attacking. Nests on cliffs, coastlines, and islands in the arctic and forages in adjacent waters and in seabird colonies.

What do glaucous gulls eat?

In flight, it picks items off the surface of the water and may catch smaller birds. Glaucous Gulls eat fish and other aquatic creatures, as well as insects, birds, eggs, berries, carrion, and garbage. Pairs nest in colonies or alone on cliff tops, flat, rocky ground, ice, or snow.

What does a gull look like with a white bill?

Young gulls can be heavily mottled tan and white or appear mostly white. White wingtips and hefty bicolored bill are the key field marks. This individual has extensive tan and white mottling below, but it still has white wingtips and a hefty bicolored bill. Looking for ID Help? Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds.

What is the difference between glaucous and herring gulls?

The glaucous gull is a large pale gull with white wing tips. Younger birds are creamy white or more biscuit coloured, depending on age. All have pale wingtips. It is bigger than a herring gull and bulkier, with a fiercer expression, larger beak and squarer head than the smaller but virtually identically-plumaged plumaged Iceland gull.

How do glaucous gulls mate?

Glaucous Gulls are monogamous in their mating system; studies of marked birds indicate that mated pairs reunite annually at the same nesting site for many years in a row. Because of this mating system, “new” courtship displays are seldom observed. In early spring, unmated males form groups that gather in coastal areas.

What does a glaucous gull look like?

An inhabitant of the far north, the Glaucous Gull is a large, pale gull with a large bill. The adult appears very white. Its back and wings are light gray, and the wingtips are white, with no black on the wing.

Where do glaucous gulls live in the Arctic?

The Glaucous Gull is the only large gull common in the high Arctic. It inhabits cold, coastal bays, estuaries, and offshore areas. In winter, Glaucous Gulls have been found on large inland lakes.

What does a snowman gull look like?

A stocky gull with a deep chest, a heavy bill, and a large head that makes the eye appear small. This can give the impression of a “snowman” of a bird compared to other large gulls. Larger than a Herring Gull, slightly smaller than a Great Black-backed Gull.

What is the difference between a herring gull and Iceland gull?

All have pale wingtips. It is bigger than a herring gull and bulkier, with a fiercer expression, larger beak and squarer head than the smaller but virtually identically-plumaged plumaged Iceland gull. Scavenges for carrion, shellfish and scraps.

What does a white headed gull look like in winter?

In winter the head is mostly white, with dark smudges on the ears and above the eyes. The bill also develops a dark tip. Rarely found away from the coast. Slightly larger than black-headed gull, with dark grey upperparts (paler towards the wing tips), a bright yellow bill and black legs.

What does a ring billed gull look like?

Ring-billed Gull: This medium-sized gull has gray upperparts and white underparts. It has a white head and yellow bill with a black ring near the tip. The wings are gray above, tipped black with white spots, and white below; yellow legs and feet.

What does a Mew Gull look like?

Mew Gull: Medium-sized gull with gray back and upperwings, and white head, neck, breast, and belly. Bill is bright yellow. Wings have white-spotted black tips; tail is white. Feet and legs are dull yellow.

What does a glaucous-winged gull look like?

Glaucous-winged Gull: This large gull has gray upperparts with white underparts, head and neck. The eyes are dark and the bill is yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible. The wings are gray with white edges and spots near the tips. The legs and feet are pink. It feeds on fish, small birds, or almost anything.

What is the difference between first-year and second-year glaucous gulls?

Although second-year Glaucous and Iceland Gulls are whiter than first-years, particularly when worn, if you come across a large gull that is pure white, then it will almost certainly prove to be an albino Herring or Lesser Black-back (or, strictly speaking, a near-albino if it lacks a pink eye).

Can glaucous and herring gulls interbreed?

Glaucous and Herring Gulls frequently interbreed, especially in Iceland, so beware of hybrids. Check any apparent Glaucous Gull for hybridisation; any traces of black in an adult’s primaries or dark brown in the primaries and tail of an immature would probably indicate that the bird is not pure.

What is the difference between a herring and a gull?

Younger birds are creamy white or more biscuit coloured, depending on age. All have pale wingtips. It is bigger than a herring gull and bulkier, with a fiercer expression, larger beak and squarer head than the smaller but virtually identically-plumaged plumaged Iceland gull.

What is the difference between glaucous and Iceland gulls?

Structurally, it is helpful to think of Glaucous as resembling a big Herring Gull, whereas Iceland is more similar to Lesser Black-backed Gull or even a very large Common Gull, with its rounded head, sleek features and long primaries.

How big do glaucous gulls get?

Glaucous Gulls are smaller than Great Black-backed Gulls by length and wingspan, but they may weigh over 5 pounds, making them the heaviest if not the largest of the world’s gull species.

Do glaucous gulls nest alone or in groups?

Glaucous Gulls are known to both create colonies during mating season or nest alone. Outside of mating season they will sometimes associate with flocks of other birds like the Glaucous-winged Gull and Herring Gulls.

What predators do glaucous gulls have?

Because of their size the only real predator Glaucous Gulls face is the occasional Bald Eagle. Glaucous Gull chicks and eggs are vulnerable to other birds (Crows, Ravens, Skuas) and mammals like Foxes. Groups of gulls are known by a variety of names including a “screech”, “scavenging”, “squabble”, and “gullery”.

What is the difference between a herring gull and a gull?

Larger than a Herring Gull, slightly smaller than a Great Black-backed Gull. Breeding adults are immaculately white, including translucent white wingtips, except for pale pearly gray back and upper surface of wings.

What is the difference between a male and female glaucous winged gull?

The sexes are similar, but the males are usually larger than females, with a larger bill, head and tarsi. Glaucous-winged Gull: This large gull has gray upperparts with white underparts, head and neck.