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Larus hyperboreus

(Glaucous Gull)

Overview:

Conservation Status

Population Analysis

  • For the 56,576 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 371.87 observations each in our database; for the Glaucous Gull, we have 7,837 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is moderately common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Glaucous Gull is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=77.577, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Glaucous Gull differ from those of Aves? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Aves that were observations of the Glaucous Gull each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Glaucous Gull are becoming more common relative to other species of Aves, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is negative (r=-.19), with a negative slope (m = -.007), suggesting that the Glaucous Gull may be in decline relative to other species of Aves. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 14.72, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Aves each year that were observations of the Glaucous Gull.

History:

  • 1988-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
  • 1994-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
  • 2000-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000)

Justification

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000¿10,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 200,000-2,000,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2002). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Taxonomy

  • Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
    • Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
      • Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Physical Description

Family Laridae:

Medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills, and webbed feet.

Adult:

Head: white Bill: yellow with red spot on lower mandible Lower Mandible: yellow with red spot Size: large Neck: white Body: Belly: white Chest: white Rump: white Legs: Foot Color: pink Leg Color: pink Tail: white Undertail Coverts: white Uppertail Coverts: white.

Size/Age/Growth:

About 26 to 30 inches long, with a wingspan of 56 to 60 inches. Adults weigh about 54.4 ounces.

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

Oceania; North America

Diet

Mostly:

Fish Aquatic Invertebrates Carrion

Lesser Quantities of: Eggs

Reproduction

  • Clutch Size: 2-3
  • Length of Incubation: 27-28 days
  • Days to Fledge: 45-50(?)
  • Number of Broods: 1

Migration

Migratory

Similar Species

Glaucous-Winged Gull, Iceland Gull

Members of the genus Larus:

There are approximately 188 species and subspecies in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: L. africilla (Laughing Gull) · L. argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus antelius · L. argentatus argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus argenteus · L. argentatus atlantis · L. argentatus birulae · L. argentatus cachinnans · L. argentatus drosti · L. argentatus heuglini · L. argentatus hueglini · L. argentatus michahelis · L. argentatus michahelles · L. argentatus michahellis · L. argentatus mongolicus · L. argentatus omissus · L. argentatus smithsonianus · L. argentatus ssp · L. argentatus thayeri · L. argentatus vegae · L. armenicus (Armenian Gull) · L. atlanticus (Olrog's Gull) · L. atricilla (Laughing Gull) · L. atricilla atricilla · L. atricilla megalopterus · L. audouinii (Audouin's Gull) · L. belcheri (Band-Tailed Gull) · L. belcheri atlanticus · L. belcheri belcheri · L. borealis · L. brachyrhynchus · L. brachyrhynchus (Red-Legged Kittiwake) · L. bridgesii · L. brunneicephalus · L. brunnicephalus (Brown-Headed Gull) · L. bulleri (Black-Billed Gull) · L. byperboreus · L. cachin · L. cachinnans (Yellow-Legged Gull) · L. cachinnans atlantis · L. cachinnans barabensis · L. cachinnans cachinanns · L. cachinnans cachinnans · L. cachinnans michahellis · L. cachinnans mongolicus · L. californicus (California Gull) · L. californicus albertaensis · L. californicus californicus · L. californicus ssp · L. canus (Mew Gull) · L. canus brachyrhynchus (Mew Gull) · L. canus canus (Mew Gull) · L. canus heinei (Mew Gull) · L. canus kamtschatschensis · L. capistratus · L. cirrhocephalus · L. cirrhocephalus cirrhocephalus · L. cirrocephalus (Grey-Headed Gull) · L. cirrocephalus cirrocephalus · L. cirrocephalus poiocephalus · L. crassirostris (Black-Tailed Gull) · L. delawarenis · L. delawarensis (Ring-Billed Gull) · L. delewarensis · L. dominicanus (Kelp Gull) · L. dominicanus austrinus · L. dominicanus dominicanus · L. dominicanus melisandae · L. dominicanus vetula · L. dominicanus vetula (Ivory Gull) · L. eburneus · L. elegans · L. franklerii · L. fuliginosus (Lava Gull) · L. furcatus (Swallow-Tailed Gull) · L. fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus antelius · L. fuscus britannicus · L. fuscus fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus graellsi · L. fuscus graellsii (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus heuglini · L. fuscus intermedius · L. gelastes · L. genei (Slender-Billed Gull) · L. glaucescens (Glaucous-Winged Gull) · L. glaucescens californicus · L. glaucescens hybrid · L. glaucescens occidentalis · L. glaucescens x · L. glaucoides (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides glaucoides (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides kumlieni (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides thayeri (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucus · L. haematorhynchus · L. hartlaubi · L. hartlaubii (King Gull) · L. heermanni (Heermann's Gull) · L. heermanni heermanni

Bibliography

  • Alsop, Fred J. III. Birds of North America - Eastern Region. First American Edition. Smithsonian Handbooks. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
  • Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
  • BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
  • Ehrlich, P., Dobkin, D., and Wheye, D. (1988). The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. (info on clutch size, length of incubation, days to fledge and number of broods.)
  • Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. (Length and wingspan info.)

More Info

Notes

Contributors:

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

Identifiers:

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Last Revised: May 17, 2008