Gulls and terns · Shorebirds
Glaucous Gull
Copied!
Larus hyperboreus
Copied!
How to recognize it
-
64–65 cm, large and powerful
-
Very pale overall: white body, pale grey back and wings
-
No black on wings or tail; wing tips white
-
Thick yellow bill, pinkish-yellow legs, deep laughing call
About the species
Glaucous Gull moves with the heavy, deliberate look of a large gull, and its plumage stays very pale from head to tail. Adults are mostly pale grey and white, with a thick yellow bill.
Its call is a deep, laughing cry, a little like a herring gull but lower. It breeds alone or in small colonies, usually on cliffs or open coastal ground, and lines a nest on the ground or ledge.
This gull breeds around the Arctic and spends winter farther south along coasts, on oceans, and sometimes on the Great Lakes. It takes a wide range of food — fish, insects, shellfish, carrion, eggs, small animals, berries, and grain — and it will also pick at scraps.
Where to find
-
Along waterfronts, dock edges, and near fish stalls — look for a large, very pale gull standing alone or picking through scraps with a heavy yellow bill.
-
By ice edges, on stone piers and breakwaters — it stands calmly and gives a low, rough laughing call.
-
On rocky shores and around old stone bridges — often perched higher than other gulls, scanning from ledges and parapets.
-
Near dumps or places with leftover fish waste — Glaucous Gull walks in to feed and often lingers with crows around carrion.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Larus hyperboreus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Glaucous gull Encyclopedia article