Glaucous-winged Gull

Larus glaucescens Naumann, JF, 1840

50–68 cmLength139 cmWingspan1.1 kgWeight

The adult’s gray wingtips usually match the upper back in shade.

Busiest months: September–January · Most records: Canada, United States, Japan

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Adult wingtips gray, usually matching upper back in shade
Breeding adult has white head, neck, breast, belly and tail
Adult has pink legs and a yellow bill with a red patch near the tip
Adult back and wings silver-gray

Male, female and young

Juvenile brown or gray with a black bill; does not acquire adult plumage until 4 years old.

Voice

Calls include a low “kak-kak-kak” or “wow”, as well as higher-pitched wailing.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: September–January · Most records: Canada, United States, Japan

Glaucous-winged Gull has been recorded at 211 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada12,624 records
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States11,734 records
North Vancouver – Maplewood Flats Conservation AreaCanada11,314 records

More places

Union Bay Natural Area/Montlake FillUnited States10,165 records
Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States8,690 records
Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States8,417 records
Clover PointCanada8,328 records
St. Paul IslandUnited States8,016 records
Discovery ParkUnited States7,652 records
Iona IslandCanada7,492 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Canada United States Japan Mexico U.S. Outlying Islands Russia South Korea China

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific glaucescens is Neo-Latin for "glaucous" from the Ancient Greek, glaukos, denoting the grey color of its wings.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Glaucous-winged Gull?

The Glaucous-winged Gull is about 50–68 cm long, with a wingspan of 139 cm and weighs around 1.1 kg.

Where does the Glaucous-winged Gull live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, North America: coastal North Pacific in eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander islands (eastern Russia); Aleutian and Pribilof islands, southwestern Alaska mainland to northern Washington. It is most often recorded in Canada, United States and Japan.

When is the best time to see the Glaucous-winged Gull?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, September, October, November and December (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Glaucous-winged Gull endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Glaucous-winged Gull as Least Concern.

What does the Glaucous-winged Gull eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Glaucous-winged Gull in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: 50–68 cm
Wingspan: 139 cm
Weight: 1.1 kg
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 412 mm
Tail: 166 mm
Bill: 70 mm
Tarsus: 65 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, North America: coastal North Pacific in eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander islands (eastern Russia); Aleutian and Pribilof islands, southwestern Alaska mainland to northern Washington

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2