Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Also known as: Thayer's Gull
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
693 g
About This Species
Look for this pale, ghostly gull among mixed gull flocks at harbours, fish docks, and coastal headlands in winter, where its faintly translucent wingtips (lacking the black seen on most gulls) are the key thing to check for. It breeds in the high Arctic and moves south only outside the breeding season, so late autumn through late winter is the reliable window in temperate coastal areas. Scan patiently through larger gull congregations rather than expecting it to stand apart, since it often associates loosely with Herring and Glaucous Gulls.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay back at least 20 to 30 metres and use optics rather than approaching roosting or feeding flocks directly, since flushing a mixed gull group disturbs every bird present, not just the one you came to see.
- Coastal and migratory bird protections vary by country, and many jurisdictions restrict approach near nesting or roosting seabirds during breeding season, so check local rules before visiting a known site.
- Wintering flocks on beaches and harbours are generally more tolerant of distant observation from a vehicle or fixed position than of a direct approach on foot.
Seasonal Activity
470,469 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 693 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.