Larus glaucoides

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WoRMS for SMEBD

Range Description

The Iceland Gull breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland (to Denmark), and outside the breeding season can be found wintering in the northernmost states of the eastern USA as far inland as the great lakes, on Iceland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the north coast of Norway, the southern tip of Scandinavia and the northern tip of Germany¹.

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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: Non-breeding

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NatureServe

Global Range: BREEDING: southern Baffin Island, extreme northwestern Quebec, Greenland, Iceland, and Jan Mayen. NON-BREEDING: from Newfoundland south on Atlantic coast to Virginia and inland rarely to Great Lakes (also Old World). Nonbreeders widespread in northern North America in summer.

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NatureServe

Size

Length: 56 cm

Weight: 557 grams

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NatureServe

Length: 58-64 cm, Wingspan: 125-130 cm

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Behaviour Northernmost populations of this species are strongly migratory whereas others (e.g. in Greenland) only disperse locally along the coast after breeding¹. The species breeds from mid-May to July² in solitary pairs or in small single- or mixed-species colonies¹ of up to several hundred pairs^3. In late-July after breeding the species may move to coastal feeding areas, the departure from the breeding grounds occurring in August or September¹. Habitat The species inhabits rocky coasts and fjords with steep cliffs^{1, 2}, offshore stacks and undisturbed low islands for nesting on¹, also foraging in the intertidal zone¹. After breeding the species remains in similar habitats³ but often disperses to harbours, refuse tips, sewage outfalls and inland reservoirs, although it generally avoids freshwater habitats¹. Diet Its diet consists predominantly of small fish (e.g. salmon Salmo spp., sprat Sprattus spp. and herring Clupea spp.) and marine invertebrates as well as bird eggs and chicks¹ (especially of Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla)³, seeds and fruits¹. Breeding site The nest is constructed of dry grass, seaweed¹ and moss on large, flat ledges² of steep coastal cliffs greater than 100-200 m in height^{1, 2}, or on offshore stacks or on the ground on undisturbed low coastal islands¹.

Systems

Terrestrial
Marine

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Ocean Biogeographic Information System

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Depth range based on 2620 specimens in 3 taxa.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1883 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 0
  Temperature range (°C): -0.246 - 24.704
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.440 - 10.275
  Salinity (PPS): 28.191 - 35.960
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.690 - 9.061
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.092 - 1.130
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.565 - 7.335

Graphical representation

Temperature range (°C): -0.246 - 24.704

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.440 - 10.275

Salinity (PPS): 28.191 - 35.960

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.690 - 9.061

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.092 - 1.130

Silicate (umol/l): 0.565 - 7.335

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

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Comments: ALL SEASONS: Primarily coastal waters, casually on large inland bodies of water (AOU 1983). BREEDING: Nests on steep cliffs and ledges facing sounds and fjords (AOU 1983) and on low sandy shores (Harrison 1978).

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NatureServe

Fjords, bays, estuaries, and offshore.

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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.

Arrives in breeding areas May-June, departs by late September (Bent 1921).

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NatureServe

Moves from Arctic regions in summer to more southern coastal locations in winter.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Trophic Strategy

Comments: Eats mainly fishes, crustaceans, and other animals obtained from water surface or beaches; also refuse and, reportedly, young may eat berries (Bent 1921).

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NatureServe

North Atlantic. In North America, south to Virginia, inland to Great Lakes. Northern Europe.

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Life Expectancy

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

Maximum longevity: 33 years (wild)

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AnAge

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Joao Pedro de Magalhaes

Reproduction

Lays clutch of 2-3 eggs, mainly May-June (Bent 1921).

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NatureServe

Nests are built on cliffs, often in mixed colonies of seabirds. 2-3 eggs, incubation period unknown. Young are fed by parents.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Gulf of Maine - CoML

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Larus glaucoides

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

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is the 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. Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

NNCCTATACTTAATCTTCGGCGCATGAGCTGGCATAGTAGGTACTGCCCTCAGCCTGCTTATCCGTGCAGAACTTGGCCAACCCGGAACCCTCCTAGGAGACGACCAAATCTATAACGTAATTGTCACCGCCCATGCCTTCGTGATAATCTTCTTCATAGTGATACCAATCATGATCGGTGGGTTTGGAAACTGACTAGTCCCACTTATAATCGGTGCCCCTGATATAGCATTTCCACGCATAAACAACATAAGCTTCTGACTATTACCCCCATCATTCCTACTCCTCCTAGCCTCTTCCACAGTAGAAGCTGGAGCCGGCACAGGATGAACAGTATACCCCCCTCTAGCTGGCAATCTAGCTCATGCTGGAGCCTCAGTAGACCTAGCAATCTTCTCTCTTCACTTAGCAGGTGTATCTTCCATTCTGGGTGCTATCAACTTTATCACTACAGCCATCAACATAAAACCCCCTGCCCTCTCACAATATCAAACCCCACTATTCGTATGATCCGTACTCATCACTGCCGTCCTATTACTACTTTCACTCCCAGTGCTTGCCGCAGGCATTACTATGCTACTTACAGACCGAAACCTAAACACAACATTCTTCGATCCCGCCGGAGGCGGTGACCCTGTACTGTACCAACACCTCTTTTGATTCTTCGGCCCCCCAGAAGTATACATCCTAATCCTA
-- 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 glaucoides

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 5
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
1994

Not Recognized
1988

Not Recognized

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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: N3N - Vulnerable

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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

Trends

Population

Total regarded as a minimum by Wetlands International (2006).

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International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

Threats

Major Threats

Utilisation The species is extensively hunted by local people in Greenland¹.

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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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