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Iceland Gull
(Larus glaucoides)
 German name(s): "Polarmöwe"
Size: 50-64 cm; wing span: 1.15-1.5 m
Weight: 480-1100 g
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Iceland Gulls are large, white-headed gulls.
They take four years to reach maturity, so there are five different
phases of plumage.
During the breeding season Iceland Gulls are amongst the whitest
of all gulls. Except for the upperwings, which are light-grey
with white leading and trailing edges, they are all-white.
In flight they appear short-necked.
In eclipse most of the head, except a small area around the bill,
turns streaked brownish-grey and the front turns greyish, but
otherwise the plumage
remains the same.
The irises are yellowish. The bill is yellow, tinged with green,
and with a small red spot near the tip of the lower mandible.
The legs and feet are dark-red.
There are 4 different
immature
plumages.
The plumage of
third-year birds already closely resembles that of
non-breeding adults, but more greyish overall.
The bill is mostly greenish-yellow, with a black ring near the tip.
Second-winter immatures are variegated white and light-grey, with
yellowish irises and an olive-green bill with a black ring near
the tip.
First-winter immatures
are mostly white to off-white, with very little grey, mostly on
the wings. The irises are dark yellowish; the base of the bill starts
to become paler, while legs and feet are pinkish-grey.
Juveniles have are mostly grey-brown, with a streaked head and
finely vermiculated body. The wings are off-white, with an
intricate grey-brown chevron pattern. The irises are dark; the
bill is olive-grey, with a broad black tip. The legs are pinkish-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Iceland
Gull at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Iceland Gull (nominate race
only) is available
HERE
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Iceland Gulls are a migratory species.
Currently 3 races are being recognized: race "kumlieni"
(Kumlien's Gull), race "thayeri" (Thayer's Gull) and
the nominate race
"glaucoides".
The name of the species is misleading, because they do NOT breed
on Iceland. Rather, the breeding grounds are found along the
coastline of the southern half of Greenland and on the Arctic
islands of northern and north-western Canada.
During migration they can be found in the western Hudson Bay,
Canada, along the northern coastline of the North-American
continent and along the southern Alaskan coastal fringe.
The species overwinters along the American West coast, from
about the US/Canada border to California, the American East
coast anywhere northward of the Chesapeake Bay, and in coastal
waters off their breeding grounds in the southern half of
Greenland. In wintertime they expand their range eastward,
overwintering around Iceland and reaching Europe.
In Europe Iceland Gulls are found only during the northern
winter, from the island groups towards Scotland (Faroes,
Hebrides, etc), the British Isles and on to the North Sea
coastline from southern Norway to the German Wattensee.
Occasionally, stragglers can be found farther South along
the European Atlantic coastline.
Outside the breeding season Iceland Gulls are a mostly coastal
species.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "glaucoides"
G. Pinelas reports finding an Iceland Gull, nominate race
"glaucoides",
at Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, in April 2018.
J. Pires spotted an Iceland Gull, nominate race
"glaucoides",
at the Port of Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, in February 2020. Another was
found at Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, in January 2021.
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Photos |
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Race "glaucoides"
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
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Near-lateral view of a second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull,
with in the background two second calendar-year
Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]
Lateral view of a second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]
Lateral view of a preening second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]
Lateral view of a second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull at the point
of take-off, exhibiting its underwing - note the worn primaries;
in the foreground an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Dafundo, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2018]
Lateral view of a second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull
in flight, wings up
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Lateral view of a second calendar-year immature Iceland Gull
in flight, wings down
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Cabo Raso, Cascais, near Lisbon, Portugal, January 2021]
Distant dorsal view of a preening first-winter(?) immature Iceland Gull
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Port of Sesimbra, Setubal, Portugal, February 2020]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
