Iceland Gull Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesIceland Gull
Adult (Iceland)
Medium-sized, pale-gray gull. The color of the wingtips is highly variable, ranging from white (this individual) to dark gray. Breeding birds a red ring around the eye. Note somewhat slender bill.
© Amanda Guercio / Macaulay LibraryOntario, April 19, 2017Nonbreeding adult (Thayer's)
Highly variable gull, but in general it has a pale gray back and a slimmer bill than similar gulls. Nonbreeding Thayer's subspecies have darker gray wingtips and variable amounts of tan streaking on the head and neck.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 30, 2015First winter (Iceland)
Highly variable gull. Pale first winter birds have tan streaking or spotting throughout. Note whitish wingtips that extend beyond tail when resting.
© Luke Seitz / Macaulay LibraryMaine, December 28, 2016First winter (Thayer's)
Color of first-winter birds varies from milk chocolate to pale brown with spotting on the back and wings. Note dark wing tips that extend beyond the tail when resting.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, November 18, 2016First winter (Thayer's)
Most often seen in the lower 48 during the winter where they can be found along seacoasts foraging close to shore, on beaches, and sometimes on lawns, and agricultural fields.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, January 18, 2016Adult (Iceland)
Nonbreeding adults are pale gray above with a small amount of brownish streaking on the head and neck. Note the pale wingtips on this Iceland subspecies.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIllinois, February 15, 2020Nonbreeding adult (Thayer's)
On nonbreeding adults in flight, note that the primaries have a limited amount of white on them especially at the tips.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, February 04, 2017First winter (Iceland)
Some first winter birds are pale with tan streaking. Note that the outer primaries are tan and white as opposed to a solid color.
© David Brown / Macaulay LibraryNew Jersey, February 04, 2017First winter (Thayer's)
First winter birds are highly variable ranging from dark brown to pale brown. Smaller size and slender bill are useful features to separate from similar gulls.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 23, 2015Nonbreeding adult (Thayer's) (with Herring Gull)
Compared to the Herring Gulls behind, note smaller size and slimmer bill.
© Daniel Casey / Macaulay LibraryMontana, February 27, 2010Similar SpeciesGlaucous Gull
Adult
Glaucous Gulls are considerably larger than Iceland Gulls with larger and stouter bills. In all ages Glaucous Gulls always show white unmarked wingtips unlike Iceland which almost always have either pale gray or dark gray wingtips.
© Christoph Moning / Macaulay LibrarySvalbard, June 14, 2015Similar SpeciesGlaucous Gull
First summer
Immature Glaucous Gulls have white wingtips, whereas immature Iceland Gulls have at least some tan markings on their wingtips. Glaucous Gulls are also larger with a heftier bill than Iceland Gulls.
© Steve Kelling / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 22, 2017Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Glaucous-winged Gulls are larger than Iceland Gulls with heavier bills. In flight adults show a row of white spots on the wing just above the wingtips, whereas Iceland Gulls including the Thayer's form lack the neat row of spots.
© Jeffrey Moore / Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 03, 2012Similar SpeciesGlaucous-winged Gull
Second winter
Glaucous-winged Gulls are larger with heavier more bulbous-shaped bill than Iceland Gulls. Immature Glaucous-winged Gulls tend to have wingtips that are the same color as the rest of their wings, unlike Iceland which tend to have different color wingtips.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, December 18, 2007Similar SpeciesHerring Gull
Nonbreeding adult (American)
Herring Gulls are slightly larger than Iceland Gulls, with darker upperparts and wingtips that are always black (though the Thayer’s form of Iceland Gull often has black in the wingtips).
© G & B / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, October 22, 2016Similar SpeciesHerring Gull
Second winter (American)
Immature Herring Gulls tend to have darker wingtips with little white showing when resting unlike Iceland, which have paler wingtips that show more white.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 16, 2017Similar SpeciesHerring Gull
Juvenile (American)
Juvenile Herring Gulls in flight have darker secondaries than Iceland Gulls (including the Thayer's form).
© Louis Bevier / Macaulay LibraryMaine, August 02, 2017Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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