Larus hyperboreus

World Register of Marine Species

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WoRMS for SMEBD

Distribution

circum-arctic

References:

UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms

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World Register of Marine Species

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WoRMS for SMEBD

Distribution

North America; Oceania; range extends throughout the Canadian Atlantic

References:

North-West Atlantic Ocean species (NWARMS)

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WoRMS for SMEBD

Range Description

This species breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. Birds breeding in northern Europe and Asia tend to remain near the colony year-round. Breeders in North America migrate south, being found in the North Pacific from California (USA) round to the extreme south-east of Russia, off the western coast of North America down to Virginia, and the Atlantic coast of Europe down to Brittany, France including the United Kingdom and Ireland¹.

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

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NatureServe

National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

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NatureServe

Global Range: BREEDS: arctic coasts, islands from northern Alaska east across northern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe to eastern Siberia. WINTERS: from southern part of breeding range south to southern California and Virginia; occasional in Hawaii; in Old World, south to northern Europe and central Siberia.

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NatureServe

Circumpolar distribution. Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America. Bermuda and Cuba. Coastal Europe south as far as Portugal and Spain. Also Pacific coast of Asia.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Size

Length: 69 cm

Weight: 1576 grams

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NatureServe

Length: 66-77 cm, Wingspan: 132-142 cm

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Behaviour Most populations of this species migrate southwards after breeding although some western Palearctic breeders remain on their breeding grounds throughout the year¹. The species breeds from mid-May to mid-June (the timing depending on latitude and ice conditions) in solitary pairs or small colonies¹, departing the breeding grounds from September to mid-October². Outside of the breeding season the species is gregarious and occurs in small or large flocks, up to tens of thousands gathering where food is temporarily abundant³ during the winter (e.g. at fishing harbours)². Habitat It breeds on sea cliffs and inshore islands^{1, 3}, particularly near human settlements and often near colonies of other gulls or geese¹. The species may also breed on islands in lakes near the coast^{1, 3} or on the edges of coastal lagoons³. Throughout the year the species forages over coasts, bays, harbours, inshore waters with sewage outfalls, the intertidal zone, land-fill sites, fishing wharves and large inland lakes¹. Diet Its diet consists of fish, molluscs, Echinoderms, crustaceans, rodents, adult and young birds, eggs (especially of ducks, auks and shorebirds), insects, berries and carrion¹. Breeding site The nest is a mound of seaweed and debris¹ usually placed on the edges of cliffs, rock pinnacles¹, rocky outcrops³, slopes¹ and occasionally on ice or snow³.

Systems

Terrestrial
Marine

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Ocean Biogeographic Information System

Rights Holder:

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Depth range based on 4362 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 3599 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): -1.109 - 21.498
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.240 - 10.275
  Salinity (PPS): 8.628 - 35.347
  Oxygen (ml/l): 5.180 - 9.084
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.240 - 1.130
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.987 - 9.412

Graphical representation

Temperature range (°C): -1.109 - 21.498

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.240 - 10.275

Salinity (PPS): 8.628 - 35.347

Oxygen (ml/l): 5.180 - 9.084

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.240 - 1.130

Silicate (umol/l): 0.987 - 9.412

Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

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Comments: Primarily in coastal waters, less commonly along large inland bodies of water; sea coasts, bays, estuaries, dumps. Nests on cliffs, rocky coasts, islets in and borders of tundra lakes, coastal dunes. Also low islands and sandbars usually on or near coast; inland river bars; most common on barrier islands immediately offshore from rivers that flood in spring and thereby isolate the island from foxes (Johnson and Herter 1989).

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NatureServe

Coastal waters, sometimes offshore. Arctic coast in summer to coastal Canada in winter. Prefers cold waters.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Migration

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Summer and winter ranges overlap somewhat in some areas; migratory status in those areas? Arrives in breeding areas in Beaufort Sea area in May, most depart by mid-September, though some, especially juveniles, may remain into November (Johnson and Herter 1989).

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NatureServe

Move south for the winter, some as far as the Gulf coast.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Trophic Strategy

Comments: In Arctic an important predator of lemmings; also predator of young alcids, ducks, and gulls. Feeds on fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and seabird eggs. Preys heavily on eggs and chicks, especially those of waterfowl, in breeding season (Johnson and Herter 1989). Large numbers may stop to feed along barrier islands, at whale carcasses, and at dumps during fall movements (Johnson and Herter 1989).

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NatureServe

Fish, mollusks, crustaceans, marine worms, sea urchins, birds, eggs, berries, seaweed, and carrion.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Associations

Known prey organisms

Larus hyperboreus (skua, glaucous gull) preys on:
Somateria
Gavia stellata
Clangula hyemalis
Diptera
Entomostraca
Rotifera
Tardigrada
Nematoda
Oligochaeta

Based on studies in:
Norway: Spitsbergen (Coastal)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

References:

V. S. Summerhayes and C. S. Elton, Contributions to the ecology of Spitsbergen and Bear Island, J. Ecol. 11:214-286, from p. 232 (1923).

Source:

SPIRE

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SPIRE project

Life Expectancy

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

Maximum longevity: 21 years

Source:

AnAge

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Joao Pedro de Magalhaes

Reproduction

Breeding begins late May to early June (Harrison 1978); egg laying occurs mainly mid- to late June in Beaufort Sea area (Johnson and Herter 1989). Both sexes incubate 2-3 eggs for 27-28 days (Terres 1980). Hatching begins in second week of July in Beaufort Sea area. Semi-precocial young are tended by both parents, fledge at 45-50 days, may be accompanied by adults into mid-September. Often nests in colonies, but may nest singly.

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NatureServe

Breeds in colonies or in isolated pairs. Nest is built by both sexes on rocky ground. 3 eggs incubated by both partners for 27-28 days. Young are fed by both parents. First capable of flight after 45-50 days.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Larus hyperboreus

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 10 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

TTTTTCTCCAACCCACAAAGACATTGGCACCCTATACTTAATCTTTGGCGCATGAGCTGGCATAGTAGGTACTGCCCTCAGCCTGCTTATCCGTGCAGAACTTGGCCAACCCGGAACCCTCCTAGGAGACGACCAAATCTATAACGTAATTGTCACCGCCCATGCCTTCGTGATAATCTTCTTCATAGTGATACCAATCATGATCGGTGGGTTTGGAAACTGACTAGTCCCACTTATAATCGGTGCCCCTGATATAGCATTTCCACGCATAAACAACATAAGCTTCTGACTATTACCCCCATCATTCCTACTCCTCCTAGCCTCTTCCACAGTAGAAGCTGGAGCCGGCACAGGGTGAACAGTATACCCCCCTCTAGCTGGCAATCTAGCCCATGCTGGAGCCTCAGTAGACCTAGCAATCTTCTCTCTTCACTTAGCAGGTGTATCTTCCATTCTGGGTGCTATCAACTTTATCACTACAGCCATCAACATAAAACCCCCTGCCCTCTCACAATATCAAACCCCACTATTCGTATGATCCGTACTCATCACTGCCGTCCTATTACTACTTTCACTCCCAGTGCTTGCCGCAGGCATTACTATGCTACTCACAGACCGAAACCTAAACACAACATTCTTCGATCCCGCCGGAGGCGGCGACCCTGTACTGTACCAACACCTCTTCTGATTCTTCGGCCACCCAGAAGTATACATCCTAATCCTACCAGGATTTGGAATTATCTCCCACGTA
-- end --

Download FASTA File

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Larus hyperboreus

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 10
Specimens with Barcodes: 16
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2009

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Contributor/s

Justification

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History

2008

Least Concern
2004

Least Concern

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5B,N5N : N5B: Secure - Breeding, N5N: Secure - Nonbreeding

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NatureServe

NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

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NatureServe

No official conservation status.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Threats

Major Threats

The species is threatened by organohalogen pollution in its Arctic breeding range^{5, 6} (there is evidence that organohalogen contaminants alter the species's basal metabolic rate⁵ and that organochlorines reduce the efficiency of its immune system⁶). In parts of its breeding range the species is also being displaced by Herring Gull Larus argentatus¹. Utilisation First year birds are hunted in Greenland, mainly between August and November⁴.

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Benefits

Economic Uses

Comments: Hunted in Greenland (Evans 1984).

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