Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull

Larus glaucoides
Iceland Gull, Scott Mayson

Introduction

Iceland Gull is a gentle-looking bird with a neat round head and large eyes that add to this effect.

Iceland Gulls breed along rocky coasts, from Greenland west to north-east Canada. After the breeding season young birds disperse from their breeding grounds with many heading south and west, arriving in Iceland during September. During the winter months a few birds will head further south and those reaching Britain & Ireland arrive early in the winter.

Iceland Gull is a scarce winter visitor to Britain & Ireland. In some years fewer than one hundred birds occur; in other years several hundred are reported.

Iceland Gull, Scott Mayson

Key Stats

Status
Scarce
Scarce
Eggs
Eggs
2-3
BTO Records
BTO Records
62k records
Population and distribution stats for:

Identification

Curated resources to aid in the identification of Iceland Gull

ID Videos

This section features BTO training videos headlining this species, or featuring it as a potential confusion species.

Iceland and Glaucous Gull

Movement

Information about Iceland Gull movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

Dots show the foreign destinations of birds ringed in Britain & Ireland, and the origins of birds ringed overseas that were subsequently recaptured, resighted or found dead in Britain & Ireland. Dot colours indicate the time of year that the species was present at the location.

  • Winter (Nov-Feb)
  • Spring (Mar-Apr)
  • Summer (May-Jul)
  • Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

European movements

EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for Iceland Gull, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Productivity and Nesting

Nesting timing

Typical (exceptional) number of broods
1

Egg measurements

Typical length x width
69x48 mm
Mass (% shell)
85g (7%)

Clutch Size

Typical number
3-2 eggs

Incubation

Incubation by
?

Fledging

Type of chick
Semi-precocial, downy

Survival and Longevity

Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for Iceland Gull

Classification and Codes

  • Order: Charadriiformes
  • Family: Laridae
  • Scientific name: Larus glaucoides
  • Authority: B Meyer, 1822
  • BTO 2-letter code: IG
  • BTO 5-letter code: ICEGU
  • Euring code number: 5980

Alternate species names

  • Catalan: gavinot polar
  • Czech: racek polární
  • Danish: Hvidvinget Måge
  • Dutch: Kleine Burgemeester
  • Estonian: polaarkajakas
  • Finnish: grönlanninlokki
  • French: Goéland arctique
  • Gaelic: Faoileag-liath
  • German: Polarmöwe
  • Hungarian: sarki sirály
  • Icelandic: Bjartmáfur
  • Irish: Faoileán Íoslannach
  • Italian: Gabbiano d'Islanda
  • Latvian: maza polarkaija
  • Lithuanian: mažasis poliarinis kiras
  • Norwegian: Grønlandsmåke
  • Polish: mewa polarna
  • Portuguese: gaivota-branca
  • Slovak: cajka bielokrídla
  • Slovenian: polarni galeb
  • Spanish: Gaviota groenlandesa
  • Swedish: vitvingad trut
  • Welsh: Gwylan yr Arctig

Research

Interpretation and scientific publications about Iceland Gull from BTO scientists.

Causes of Change and Solutions

Causes of change

The European population trend for Iceland Gull is stable [BirdLife International 2018] and drivers of population change are unknown.

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.
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