Glaucous Gull Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesGlaucous Gull
Adult
Large gull with white wingtips and a hefty bill. Adults have a clean white head and pale gray back and wings.
© Marco Valentini / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 13, 2019Nonbreeding adult
Large and hefty gull with white wingtips. Nonbreeding birds have varying amounts of brown streaking on the head and neck.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryHokkaido, December 26, 2013Breeding adult and juveniles
Breeds near the coast in the Arctic, typically placing the nest in a shallow depression on a mound of grassy vegetation, or on a cliff ledge.
© Larry Arbanas / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 28, 2007Not all videos have sound
First winter
First-winter birds have a hefty bicolored bill and are heavily mottled tan and white.
© Manuel Amaro Carvalho / Macaulay LibraryPorto, January 06, 2021First winter
First-winter birds have a hefty bicolored bill. Mottled in varying amounts of tan and white, paler than juveniles. Note white or mostly white wingtips.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, March 11, 2017First summer
First-summer birds are whitish above with white wingtips. Note bicolored bill.
© Steve Kelling / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 22, 2017First winter
Young gulls can be heavily mottled tan and white or appear mostly white. White wingtips and hefty bicolored bill are the key field marks.
© Ruth Danella / Macaulay LibraryOntario, January 02, 2017First winter
This individual has extensive tan and white mottling below, but it still has white wingtips and a hefty bicolored bill.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, August 24, 2004Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Adult Glaucous-winged Gulls have pale gray wingtips and a neat row of white dots on the inner tips of the wings unlike adult Glaucous Gulls that have white wingtips and no row of dots.
© Jeffrey Moore / Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 03, 2012Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
First winter
Immature Glaucous-winged Gulls can be separated from immature Glaucous Gulls by their pale brown wingtips (Glaucous Gulls have white wingtips).
© Mark Bartolome Stevens / Macaulay LibraryOregon, April 19, 2017Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
Adult (Iceland)
Iceland Gulls are smaller than Glaucous Gulls with a thinner bill. Most often Iceland Gulls have at least some gray on the wingtips unlike Glaucous Gulls, which always have white wingtips.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 03, 2012Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
Nonbreeding adult (Thayer's)
The Iceland Gull (Thayer's) has gray wingtips unlike Glaucous Gulls, which have white wingtips.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 30, 2015Similar SpeciesIceland Gull
First winter (Iceland)
First winter Iceland Gulls have a thinner bill that isn't as two-toned as the thicker bill on first winter Glaucous Gulls. Most immature Iceland Gulls also have pale brown (not white) wingtips.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, December 28, 2016Similar SpeciesHerring Gull
Nonbreeding adult (American)
All ages of Herring Gulls have darker wingtips than Glaucous Gulls.
© G & B / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, October 22, 2016Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.