- Larus pacificus
Identification
58–65 cm (22¾-25½ in)
- Black back
- Yellow bill tipped with scarlet
- Black upper wings and wing tips
- White tail with broad black band near the end
- Yellow legs
Juveniles - mottled brown, pale face, pink bill with black tip.
Distribution
Native to the coasts of Australia. The nominate eastern race prefers sheltered beaches, while the western race georgii is commonly found on exposed shores.
Taxonomy
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Subspecies
There are two subspecies[1]:
- L. p. georgii:
- Coastal Western Australia to South Australia and Kangaroo Island
- L. p. pacificus:
- South East Australia (Victoria) and Tasmania; casual to Queensland
Habitat
Sandy, or rocky coasts and sandy beaches. Rarely travels far inland. They occasionally visit farmland and rubbish tips.
Behaviour
These birds are often solitary or in pairs.
Breeding
They build either a scrape in the ground lined with stones and gravel, or a shallow bowl made of grass, seaweed, feathers and sticks, as their nest. Their clutch contains 2-3 mottled brown eggs which the female incubates while the male forages for food.
Diet
Their diet consists of fish, squid and molluscs foraged in the intertidal zone. They also take crabs, fish offal and carrion.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved January 2019)
- Birds in Backyards
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Pacific Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pacific_Gull
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
