Alternative names: Cape Gull; Southern Black-backed Gull
- Larus dominicanus
Identification
54–65 cm (21¼-25½ in)
- Black upperparts and wings
- White head, underparts, tail, wing tips
- Yellow bill with a red spot which is swollen in the tip
- Green legs
- Dark eye
Hybridization
Hybridization of Kelp Gull with American Herring Gull (producing a bird known as Chandeleur Gull) have been discussed in a thread in the Id forum.
Distribution
Mainly southern hemisphere - Antarctica, Australasia, southernmost parts of Africa and South America, sub-Antarctic islands.
An isolated population in Senegambia.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Five subspecies are recognized[1]:
- L. d. dominicanus in South America, Australasia, and Antarctica
- L. d. vetula in southern Africa
- L. d. austrinus in Antarctica
- L. d. judithae in Subantarctic Indian Ocean islands
- L. d. melisandae in Madagascar
Habitat
Mainly coasts and coastal waters. However they are often seen at inland lakes.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is made in a shallow depression on the ground lined with vegetation and feathers. Sometimes nests on rooftops. The clutch consists of 2 or 3 eggs. Both adults feed the young birds.
Diet
Their diet is very varied and includes scavenged fishery discards and refuse.
Reference
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Lepage D. (2020) [Avibase - https://avibase.ca/E6536E4E]. Retrieved 14 November 2020
- Burger, J., M. Gochfeld, E. F. J. Garcia, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.kelgul.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Kelp Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 23 January 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Kelp_Gull
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
