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Guide to North American Birds

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Photo: Joe Fuhrman/Vireo

Glaucous Gull

Larus hyperboreus

A big, pale, ghostly gull of the far north. The only large gull common in the high Arctic, although a couple of small gulls are successful there as well. At various times it may fill the role of either predator or scavenger. Generally found around cold waters, but a few Glaucous Gulls (mostly young birds) may leave the Arctic and move far south in winter, sometimes reaching Florida, Texas, or northwestern Mexico.

Conservation status	Widespread and common in far north; not much affected by human activities. No obvious trend in population. An adaptable bird, perhaps less vulnerable to the effects of climate change than other Arctic species.
Family	Gulls and Terns
Habitat	Mainly coastal. At most seasons favors coastal bays and estuaries, but also occurs well offshore at times; small numbers may be found around large lakes well inland in winter. Nests on cliff ledges, islands, beaches.

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Feeding Behavior

Feeds as both a predator and a scavenger; also steals food from other birds. Forages while walking or swimming; in flight, may swoop down to pick items from surface of water, or may catch smaller birds in the air.

Eggs

3, sometimes 2-4. Olive to buff, blotched with dark brown. Incubation is by both sexes, 27-28 days. Young: Both parents feed young. Downy young may leave nest a few days after hatching, but remain in general area. Age at first flight probably about 45-50 days, with young becoming independent soon thereafter.

Young

Both parents feed young. Downy young may leave nest a few days after hatching, but remain in general area. Age at first flight probably about 45-50 days, with young becoming independent soon thereafter.

Diet

Omnivorous. Diet highly variable, includes fish, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, sea urchins, insects, birds, eggs, berries, seaweed, carrion. Often scavenges refuse around towns, fishing boats.

Nesting

Breeds in colonies or in isolated pairs. Nest site is on cliff top, flat rocky ground, rocky outcrop; sometimes on ice or snow. Nest (built by both sexes) is a mound of grasses, moss, seaweed, and debris, with a shallow depression at the top.

Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.

Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

Migration

Many remain in winter as far north as there is open water. A few move well south along both coasts of United States, and to Great Lakes; scattered singles may turn up anywhere inland or on Gulf Coast.

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Migration

All Seasons - Common
All Seasons - Uncommon
Breeding - Common
Breeding - Uncommon
Winter - Common
Winter - Uncommon
Migration - Common
Migration - Uncommon

Songs and Calls

Hoarse croaks and screams.

Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
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How Climate Change Will Reshape the Range of the Glaucous Gull

Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.

Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.

Climate threats facing the Glaucous Gull

Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.