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Slaty-backed Gull

A species of Gulls
Scientific name : Larus schistisagus Genus : Gulls

Slaty-backed Gull, A species of Gulls
Botanical name: Larus schistisagus
Genus: Gulls
Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) Photo By CharlesLam , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Description

The slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus) is a large, white-headed gull that breeds on the north-eastern coast of the Palearctic, but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. It is similar in appearance to the western gull and the glaucous-winged gull. Another alternate name is Pacific gull, though this also applies to a Southern Hemisphere species, L. pacificus. Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America. as well as the eastern coast of temperate Asia (Palearctic). On 3 November 2012, an individual was spotted in Finland. The species has only been spotted three times before in Europe. This species is tied with the yellow-footed gull for fourth-largest gull species. This species measures 55–68.5 cm (21.7–27.0 in) in length, 132–160 cm (52–63 in) in wingspan, and 1.05–1.7 kg (2.3–3.7 lb) in weight. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 40 to 48 cm (16 to 19 in), the bill is 4.8 to 6.5 cm (1.9 to 2.6 in), and the tarsus is 6 to 7.6 cm (2.4 to 3.0 in). It has a white head, belly, and tail with a dark slaty-gray back and wings with a broad white trailing edge. The wings and back are slightly darker than those of the western gull. The undersides of the wings feature a "string of pearls" pattern along their edges; these can be seen from below when the bird is in flight. Its eyes are yellow. The legs are pink and short when compared with those of similar-looking gulls, and the body appears more stout. The bill is yellow with orange-red subterminal spot (the spot near the end of the bill that chicks peck to stimulate regurgitative feeding). Immature gulls' plumage is brown, similar to that of the great black-backed gull, but paler, and is practically indistinguishable from the immature herring gull in the field.
Size
64 cm (25 in)
Life Expectancy
24 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Slaty-backed Gull primarily feeds on a diverse diet comprising fish, invertebrates, and carrion. They forage by hunting and scavenging, which includes predation on bird eggs and chicks, opportunistic consumption of refuse and offal, as well as feeding on voles, insects, and crowberries.
Habitat
Slaty-backed Gull primarily inhabits a variety of coastal environments, including inshore waters, low sea cliffs, rocky islets, and sandy shores. This species is also known to frequent freshwater lake islands within certain inland regions, where it may be found significant distances from oceanic coastlines. Slaty-backed Gull often congregates around fishing ports and fish-processing factories, capitalizing on food sources related to human activities in those areas. During breeding seasons, slaty-backed Gull typically nests in colonies situated on coastal cliffs or islands, occasionally extending to lacustrine settings.
Dite type
Piscivorous

General Info

Feeding Habits

Bird food type

Species Status

Not globally threatened.
Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) Photo By CharlesLam , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original

Scientific Classification

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