Glaucous-winged gull

The Glaucous-winged Gull is rarely found far from saltwater. It is a large bird, measuring 24 to 27 in. with a white head, neck, breast, and belly, a white tail, and pearly-gray wings and back. The term glaucous describes its colouration. The ends of its wings are white-tipped. Its legs are pink and the beak is yellow with a red subterminal spot. The forehead is somewhat flat. During the winter, the head and nape appears dusky, and the subterminal spot becomes dark. Young birds are brown or gray with black beaks, and take four years to reach full plumage.

The Glaucous-winged gull is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

the non-breeding season, the adult Glaucous-winged Gull has a solid gray-blue mantle (back and wings), a white tail, and a white head streaked with brown. The bill is very large. The wingtips are gray or gray-black, not deep black like many gull species. The underwings are white with a band of blue-gray. The legs are pink, and the beak is yellow with a red spot. The eye is dark brown, or rarely yellowish. More

Glaucous-winged Gull adult (left image), and Glaucous-winged Gull in front and Western Gull, behind (right image), Portland, Oregon. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Willamette River, Portland, Oregon. Image taken February 14, 2009. Image, 2009, Portland, Oregon, click to enlarge Image, 2009, Portland, Oregon, click to enlarge Click image to enlarge Glaucous-winged Gull, Portland, Oregon. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Willamette River, Portland, Oregon. Image taken February 14, 2009. ... youngster ... More

FIRST RECORD OF GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL IN KINGS CO., CALIFORNIAphotos and discussion by Don Roberson and the story of a Kings Co. Big Day (story by Luke Cole, below) Luke Cole (left) discovered a Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens on 22 Mar 1999 in southern Kings County, and I refound it on a 'Big Day' on 27 March with Luke, Rita Carratello, and Rob Hansen. More

The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull residing from the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. It also breeds on the northwest coast of Alaska. During non-breeding seasons they can be found along the coast of California. It is a close relative of the Western Gull and frequently hybridizes with it, resulting in identification problems—particularly in the Puget Sound area. Glaucous-winged Gulls are thought to live about 15 years. More

The Glaucous-winged Gull has a current classification of Least Concern. The prior rating of this bird was Lower Risk. The range of this bird is estimated to be around 1 million square kilometers. The population of the Glaucous-winged Gull is believed to exceed half a million individual birds. This bird is native to North America as well as Russia and Japan. It is also a visitor to Spain, Hong Kong, China and Morocco. More

Glaucous-winged GullGlaucous-winged Gull, at sea off Newport, Oregon on 6 March 2010 by Greg Gillson. In the 1953 book, Birds of Washington State, Jewett, Taylor, Shaw, and Aldrich described the southern edge of the breeding range of Glaucous-winged Gull as Destruction Island, Washington, nearly due west of Mt. Olympus on the Olympic Peninsula. Likewise, that island about 4 miles offshore was the northern edge of the breeding range of the much darker Western Gull. More

The Glaucous-winged Gull is a resident seabird along the coast of the northeast Pacific Ocean. It breeds in colonies and occasionally as individual pairs mostly on offshore islands from northwest Washington to the Bering Sea. Winter finds the Glaucous-winged Gull occupying its breeding range and straggling as far as south Baja California and to Japan. In spring, tens of thousands of Glaucous-winged Gulls gather to feast on adult herring and their eggs, and during summer they prey on juvenile herring, among other things. More

Glaucous-winged gulls are the common “seagulls” familiar to many on the south coast of Alaska. Glaucous-winged gulls breed in Alaska from the British Columbia border to the end of the Aleutian chain and northward to Bristol Bay, western Nunivak Island, and the Pribilofs. General description: Adults have white heads and bodies, pink legs, brown eyes, gray backs, and wing tips typically the same shade of gray as the back. Their heads are heavily flecked with gray in winter. More

A large gull of the north Pacific Coast, the Glaucous-winged Gull is common in coastal cities and towns. Its wingtips are colored unlike any other gull's, being neither black nor white. Instead, they are a medium gray, not much different from the back color. More

The Glaucous-winged Gull is rarely found far from saltwater. It is also known as the sea gull. Description It is a large bird, measuring 24 to 27 in. (61-69 cm.) with a white head, neck, breast, and belly, a white tail, and pearly-gray wings and back. The ends of their wings are white-tipped. Its legs are pink and the beak is yellow with a red subterminal spot. The forehead is somewhat flat. More

Bent Life History for the Glaucous-winged Gull - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL LARUS GLAUCESCENS (Nanmann) HABITS This, the most abundant, the most widely distributed, and the characteristic gull of the north Pacific coast, is an omnipresent and familiar sight to the travelers along the picturesque coast and through the numerous inside passages leading to Alaska. More

The Glaucous-winged Gull is a large gull with pale gray upperparts, white underparts, a yellow bill with a red spot, and no black in the wingtips. White head in breeding plumage. Visit Tom Grey's web page on Glacous-winged Gulls for images or several plumages, sitting and flying. Female - Same as male. Seasonal change in appearance - Winter adults have brown barring on the head and neck. More

Glaucous-winged Gulls are widely distributed in coastal areas and are therefore one of our most familiar seabirds. Almost every beach, harbor or fishing boat located anywhere from the state of Washington to the Bering Sea will occasionally have a Glaucous-winged Gull sitting on it, or soaring gracefully above it. Part of the secret to their success is that they are flexible in their choice of foods. More

Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#1 of 2) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#1 of 2) Glaucous-winged Gull, (#2 of 2) Glaucous-winged Gull, (#2 of 2) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#1 of 3) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#1 of 3) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#2 of 3) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#2 of 3) Glaucous-winged Gull, 1st cycle (#3 of 3) Glaucous-winged More

Glaucous-winged GullThis information was scanned from The Birds of British Columbia (Campbell et al.), Volume II, pages 264-271. Volumes I, II and III of The Birds of British Columbia can be ordered electronically at: orders@ubcpress.ubc.ca from UBC Press in Vancouver, British Columbia. RangeTOP Map Breeds from the southern Bering Sea and southern Alaska south along the Pacific coast to northwestern Washington; also on the Commander Islands. More