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Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
Birds Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

General Description: Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) are large, white gulls with a pale gray mantle and light gray wingtips with white spots. The bill is large and yellow with a red spot on the lower mandible. The legs are pink. During winter, the head is lightly streaked.

Gulls take 2-4 years to mature. The plumage during the juvenile and subadult years differs from the adult breeding plumage, and the plumage also differs between summer and winter. Thus, there can be 7 or so different plumages for each species of gull, making identification difficult. Glaucous-winged Gulls take four years to mature.

Taxonomy: Charadriiformes, Laridae, Larinae.

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)

Favored Habitat: Coastal Alaska during summer, and coastal California and Mexico during winter.

Where to Find: Don't look for Glaucous-winged Gulls around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them on the Pacific coast during winter.

Comments:

Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
Note that wingtips are same color as wings and back
Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)
Glaucous-winged Gull on a rocky jetty in northern California
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 240112
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