Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific glaucescens is Neo-Latin for "glaucous" from the Ancient Greek, glaukos, denoting the grey color of its wings.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds coastal North Pacific from eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, Kuril and Commander islands (eastern Russia) eastward through Aleutian and Pribilof islands, and southwestern Alaska to northern Washington; winters to Japan and northwestern Mexico.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Glaucous-winged gull
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
