What is an Olympic gull?

What is a Puget Sound gull?

This particular hybrid is sometimes known as the “Olympic gull”, or “Puget Sound gull”. The persistence and backcrossing of hybrids is believed to be due to hybrid superiority, where hybrids exhibit higher evolutionary fitness than parent species in the hybrid zone.

What kind of wings do gulls have?

Wing pattern: Most adult gulls have gray wings with dark tips, but some, like glaucous-winged, glaucous, and Iceland, have entirely pale wings. With experience, you can also note size and placement of the white “mirrors” in the dark wingtips.

Is there such a thing as a hybrid gull?

Nesting Western x Glaucous-winged gull hybrid, colloquially known as the “Olympic Gull”. Hybridization in gulls occurs quite frequently, although to varying degrees depending on the species involved.

How many birds live in the Puget Sound?

More than 70 bird species regularly utilize Puget Sound during some or all stages of their life histories (Gaydos and Pearson 2011), but only a portion of these are actively being investigated. Studies have focused primarily on abundance and distribution, habitat utilization, foraging behavior, and contamination levels.

What kind of gulls live in Puget Sound?

Named for it’s gray wings (the greek word “glaukos” means blue-gray) this species is the most common large (average body length of 26 inches) gull around Puget Sound. However identifying gulls is not an easy task as this species can be confused with a similar-sized gull with a darker back called a Western Gull.

What do Seagulls eat in Puget Sound?

Seagulls even have a special cry that an eagle has been spotted alerting the rest to be wary. The Bald eagle is an increasingly common site along the shoreline of Puget Sound where it feeds on fish and water birds. Carrion is eaten during the winter. Small mammals may also eaten. Nests are constructed of sticks in large trees near the water.

Why is the Puget Sound important to birds?

Puget Sound is important for nesting, wintering, and migration of numerous bird species associated with the marine environment. More than 70 bird species regularly utilize Puget Sound during some or all stages of their life histories (Gaydos and Pearson 2011), but only a portion of these are actively being investigated.

What kind of bird is a Grey Gull?

Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls; stout, longish bills; and webbed feet. Most gulls are ground-nesting carnivores which take live food or scavenge opportunistically, particularly the Larus species.

What are gulls?

What are gulls? Gulls are members of a large, widespread family of seabirds. Often known as seagulls (though no species is actually called a seagull, and many are found far from the sea), they sometimes get a bad reputation for stealing chips. But gulls are intelligent, adaptable and often beautiful birds.

What is the difference between a black wing tip and common gull?

The solid black wing-tips lack the white spots of common gull. Slightly larger than the similar black-headed gull, but adults distinguished by paler upperparts, scarlet bill and legs, white wing-tips and jet black hood (rather than brown) in summer. In winter they have a dark mask stretching behind the eye.

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

This is an extremely widespread bird that John James Audubon referred to as “the common American gull.” It is very similar in appearance, but somewhat smaller than the Herring Gull. The most obvious difference, as its name suggests, is the dark black ring around the front of its yellow bill.

How common are hummingbird/gull hybrids?

In gulls, Western × Glaucous-winged Gulls (known as “Olympic Gulls”) are particularly common; these hybrids are fertile and may be more evolutionarily fit than either parent species. At least twenty different hummingbird hybrid combinations have been reported, and intergeneric hybrids are not uncommon within the family.

What is a bird hybrid?

A bird hybrid is a bird that has two different species as parents. The resulting bird can present with any combination of characters from the parent species, from totally identical to completely different. Usually, the bird hybrid shows intermediate characteristics between the two species.

Is there such a thing as a Sea Gull?

But what many don’t know is that there is no such thing as a ‘sea gull’, instead many different species live in the UK. There are 50 species of gulls in the world, in Britain we have six species of commonly occurring breeding gulls: A herring gull, a common sight at the British seaside.

Is the Puget Sound marine bird population declining?

Multiple species of marine bird that overwinter in Puget Sound have shown sharp declines in abundance over the past two decades. Declining species outnumber increasing species, declines occur across diverse taxonomic groups and feeding guilds, and declines of up to 95% have been reported.

What kind of birds live in Puget Sound?

The pigeon guillemot is a common member of the south Puget Sound water bird community and often seen nearshore during the spring and summer months diving for their food. They use partially folded wings to “fly” underwater chasing prey such as fish, crabs and shrimp.

How many species of birds are in Washington State?

Bird watching is a popular activity for many residents and visitors in the Puget Sound region. More than 500 bird species have been observed in Washington State. It is relatively easy to see and study birds in the wild. Birdwatching is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the country.

When do you see ring-billed gulls in Puget Sound?

In Puget Sound it is more commonly seen during spring and fall migrations. Away from the coastal areas it is the common gull seen around fast food restaurants and other places where human food can be easily obtained. The ring-billed gull is named for the obvious black ring around the tip of it’s bill.

What kind of birds live in the Puget Sound?

The Caspian tern, which summers around Puget Sound, is a striking bird, with a black cap and bright red-orange bill. There are other rewarding seabirds to identify.

When is the best time to see seagulls in Puget Sound?

In Puget Sound it is more commonly seen during spring and fall migrations. Away from the coastal areas it is the common gull seen around fast food restaurants and other places where human food can be easily obtained.

How do birds eat fish in Puget Sound?

These large fish-eating birds winter in large flocks throughout Puget Sound. Flocks containing 20 to 40 individuals move along the shoreline searching for small fish such as sculpins. They frequently peer below the surface to spot prey. When a potential victim is found, one or more birds will quickly dive and a chase ensues.

What do eagles eat in Puget Sound?

The Bald eagle is an increasingly common site along the shoreline of Puget Sound where it feeds on fish and water birds. Carrion is eaten during the winter. Small mammals may also eaten.

What is the Puget Sound marine ecosystems analysis program?

Since the 1970s, the most comprehensive census of marine birds in northern Puget Sound was conducted as part of the Marine Ecosystems Analysis (MESA) program of 1978-1979 (Wahl 1981).

Where are the largest concentrations of birds in Washington?

The largest concentrations of birds occurred in northern Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Brant (Branta bernicla). Photo by Peter Mickelson.

What is a glaucous gull?

Glaucous Gull: This large pale gull is sometimes referred to as the ghost of winter. It breeds in the high arctic, but in the winter some of these birds head “south” to the Great Lakes.

Is there such a thing as a seagull?

Ask a bird researcher or check in a bird book and you’ll soon find there is no such thing as a seagull. What most people refer to as seagulls are actually birds in the scientifically classified family Laridae.

What kind of gull has a white head and black wings?

California Gull: This is a medium-sized gull with a white head and underparts, gray wings and black wing tips. The bill and legs are yellow, and it has a red eyering. It has a strong direct flight with deep wing beats.