Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 19.7–23.6 in
50–60 cm - Wingspan
- 45.3–53.9 in
115–137 cm - Weight
- 28.9–38.8 oz
820–1100 g
Other Names
- Goéland arctique, Goéland de Kumlien (French)
- Gaviota del ártico (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Iceland Gull is divided into two subspecies. The western form known as "Kumlien's Gull," breeds in Canada and shows variable amounts of dark in the wingtips. The form that breeds in Greenland and winters from there to Europe, has very little or no dark in its wingtips.
- The Iceland Gull and the Thayer's Gull show many similarities and may be the same species. A range of darkness in the wingtips can be seen from fully dark ones in the western Arctic to fully white in eastern Canada, with lots of variation in between.
Habitat
Shore-line
Breeds in coastal colonies on rocky precipices of steep cliffs from low to high Arctic, normally facing fjords or sounds, though occasionally up to several kilometers inland. Winters along shores of salt water and less often freshwater lakes and rivers.
Food
Omnivore
Fish, carrion, offal in harbors, marine invertebrates, occasionally eggs and young of other birds; some terrestrial plants, algae, and berries in late summer.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 1–3 eggs
- Egg Description
- Pale grayish brown, spotted and blotched with dark brown.
- Condition at Hatching
- Alert and mobile. Covered in cryptically colored down.
Nest Description
Shallow bowl of moss and grass, placed on narrow cliff ledge.
Nest Placement
Cliff
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Picks food off surface of water, food typically swallowed while flying. Ternlike searching flight and fishing behavior.
Conservation
Least Concern
Not endangered or threatened.
Credits
- Snell, R. R. 2002. Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) and Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri). In The Birds of North America, No. 699 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.