Birds
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus · also called glaucous gulls
Gliding over a seabird colony with wings pale from tip to tip, a glaucous gull stands out immediately among the Arctic’s large gulls, missing the dark wingtip markings nearly every other big gull species carries.
Overview
The glaucous gull, Larus hyperboreus, is one of the largest gulls found in the Arctic, native to polar and coastal habitat across the circumpolar region spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Its unusually pale, dark-wingtip-free plumage, genuinely predatory habits at seabird colonies, and reliance on scavenging from fishing boats and hunters make it one of the most physically distinctive and ecologically dominant gulls found anywhere in the high Arctic.
A predator among the pale ice
The glaucous gull’s pale, almost ghostly appearance belies a genuinely predatory nature, since this species readily takes eggs, chicks, and even adult birds at seabird colonies rather than relying solely on scavenging like many other large gulls.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and stable across suitable polar and coastal habitat throughout the circumpolar Arctic.
Glaucous Gull: common questions
How can you identify a glaucous gull?
This species can be identified by its very large size and its lack of dark wingtips, a feature found on almost every other large gull species, giving the glaucous gull an unusually pale, almost entirely white-and-grey appearance in flight.
Is the glaucous gull a predator of other seabirds?
Yes, this species is a powerful predator at seabird colonies, taking eggs, chicks, and sometimes even adult birds of smaller species, a level of predation that goes well beyond simple scavenging.
Where does the glaucous gull live?
This species breeds across the circumpolar Arctic, with populations found around the northern coastlines of North America, Europe, and Asia, favouring polar and coastal habitat throughout the region.
Does the glaucous gull scavenge from people?
Yes, this species readily follows fishing boats and hunters, scavenging discarded fish and other scraps whenever the opportunity arises, much like many other large gull species do around human activity.