History:

Formerly considered as a subspecies of Herring Gulls.

It is sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Iceland Gulls.

Physical Appearance:

221/2" - 25" wide

Mantle slightly darker grey

Grey on the underside of the wing tips is distinctive.

Yellow bill with red spot on lower mandible.

Pale to brown eyes, with a purple-red ring around it.

Darker pink legs.

Sound:

Long mewing call: hiyah

Warning call: gah-gah-gah

Nesting:

Usually 2 or 3 olive-brown, heavily blotched eggs in grass nest on sea cliffs in the high arctic. They only overwinter at Race Rocks, feeding on the small herring and krill in the surrounding waters.

Habitat:

They are seabirds of the arctic, coastal rocks and rocky headlands.

They are usually located on the Pacific coast on North America during winters.

At Race Rocks, they often number in the hundreds out on the South West corner of the larger island, as the numbers below show.

Immature Gulls:

They are similar to herring gulls, but slightly smaller and with proportionately smaller bill.