From Opus

Adult. Photo by Peter Bono
Location: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Immature. Photo by Gary Clark
Location: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Larus scoresbii

[edit] Identification

Size: 40-60 cm, wing 30.6-33.9 cm, wingspan 104-110 cm, weight 524 g, male generally larger in all measurements.
Adult: Bill and legs red. Head, neck, and underparts grey, black back and tops of wings with white wing tips. Underwings grey, white tail.
Immature: Brownish hood, grey neck and upper breast, with rest of underparts and rump white. Black band on white tail.

[edit] Distribution

This handsome small gull is quite common in coastal regions of Southern Chile, Southern Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species, which is sometimes placed in genus Leucophaeus.^1,2

[edit] Habitat

Docks, rubbish piles, mixed with other seabirds on shorelines.

[edit] Behaviour

Breeding: Early November, nest made of kelp and vegetation lined with grass, normally sheltered by boulders or grass. Lays 2-3 olive-buff or grey-green eggs, incubation 24-27 days. Chicks leave nest at 2-5 days.

[edit] References

1. Dickinson EC (ed.) 2003. The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. 3rd ed. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. ISBN 9780691117010
2. Gill F & Wright M. 2008. Birds of the World: Recommended English Names. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, USA. 2006. ISBN 9780691128276 Update (2008) downloaded from http://worldbirdnames.org/names.html.

[edit] External Links