Alternative name: King Gull
- Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Larus hartlaubii
Identification
37–39 cm (14½-15¼ in); a 2-year gull
- White overall plumage
- Grey back and upperwings
- Black wing tips with conspicuous white "mirrors"
- Dark red bill and legs
Breeding: faint lavender-grey hood
Sexes are similar.
Juvenile birds have a brown band across the wings.
Similar Species
They differ from the slightly larger Grey-headed Gull in its thinner, darker bill, deeper red legs, paler, plainer head and dark eyes.
Juveniles differ from same-age Grey-headed Gulls in that they lack a black terminal tail band, less dark areas in the wings, darker legs, and a white head.
Distribution
They are a non-migratory breeding resident endemic to the Atlantic Ocean coastline of south-western South Africa and south-western Namibia.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1], which is sometimes placed in genus Larus.
It has in the past been considered a subspecies of Silver Gull.
Habitat
Coasts, harbours, rubbish dumps and around slaughter houses. They breed on low flat islands. Rarely observed far from land.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists of small fish, earthworms, insects and marine invertebrates such as kelp, offal and refuse.
Vocalisation
Call: a raucous crow-like kaaarrh.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2017)
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Hartlaub's Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hartlaub%27s_Gull
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
