Page 217 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Order Charadriiformes Family Laridae Species Larus glaucoides
Iceland Gull clouded buff- short, pale
brown and
yellow bill
grey from head
to breast with red spot
wingtips round head
fade to barring on oatmeal-
buff-ivory brown body blackish bill with
dull pale base
long wings
pale grey
back

IMMATURE
(1ST WINTER)
ADULT
IMMATURE wingtips short legs (WINTER)
(1ST WINTER)
extend well
beyond tail
ADULT
(WINTER)
IN FLIGHT
white wingtips
t is unusual to find two species so closely matched in plumage
Icolour and pattern as Iceland and Glaucous Gulls.The Iceland Gull FLIGHT: steady, easy, heavy-bellied; wings rather
is nearly always the scarcer of the two, but appears inland as well as straight-out, taper to point.
around coastal harbours (and well out at sea) in ones and twos – visitors IMMATURE
from Arctic Greenland. It is a handsome In their first and second years,
bird, especially in summer plumage; like Iceland Gulls fade almost to white
Glaucous Gulls, the oatmeal-coloured by summer, and are difficult to
immatures with ivory wingtips are age with certainty.
striking.To separate the two species,
details of shape and structure are more
important than plumage.
VOICE Shrill squealing notes and
barking calls like Herring Gull.
NESTING Small grassy nest on cliff ledges
or ground; 2 or 3 eggs; 1 brood; June.
FEEDING Fish, molluscs, crustaceans,
rubbish, and offal, from water, fields,
and rubbish tips.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds in Greenland. In winter,
common in Iceland, much scarcer
GLAUCOUS GULL GLAUCOUS GULL dark-tipped in Great Britain and Ireland, often
see p.214 immature, similar pink bill
to immature; following fishing vessels and seen
see p.214 around harbours; generally rare in
mainland Europe. Usually in flocks
thicker dark darker
bill of more common gulls at tips,
shorter wingtips reservoirs, and beaches.
wings
HERRING GULL
immature, similar to Seen in the UK
larger
immature; see p.209 J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 52–60cm (20 1 ⁄2 –23 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 1.3–1.45m (4 1 ⁄4 –4 3 ⁄4ft) Weight 750–1000g (27–36oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Secure†
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