Difference between revisions of "Slaty-backed Gull" - BirdForum Opus

Latest revision as of 06:49, 6 May 2020

Adult
Photo © by Richard B. Stern
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, 3 January 2004

Larus schistisagus

Alternative Names: Kamchatka Gull, Pacific Gull.

Identification

L. 27 inches (68.5 cm)

Breeding Adult

White head, belly, and tail
Dark, slaty-gray back and wings
- Broad white trailing edge

First cycle
Photo &copy by Ayuwat J
Beppu, Oita, Japan

Underside of wings features a "string of pearls" along the edges
- Can be seen from below when the bird is in flight
Yellow eyes
Pink legs (appear shorter than similar gulls)
Body appears stouter than similar gulls
Yellow bill with orange-red subterminal band

Immature

Highly variable. First cycle mostly brown with brownish wing-tips. May have bleached greater coverts. Second cycle similar but with dark slaty-colored mantle feathers. Third cycle similar to adult but with brown smudging on wing coverts and black spots on otherwise white tail.

Similar Species

Second cycle
Photo &copy by Joseph Morlan
Choshi Port, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, 9 February 2019

The wings and back are slightly darker than those of the Western Gull. Slaty-backed usually shows extended secondaries forming a "skirt." Relatively short primary projection and pot-bellied look. Immature is similar to Great Black-backed Gull, but paler; lacks checkered appearance of that species. Usually distinguished from Herring Gull by brown rather than black wing-tips and relatively plain pattern on greater coverts. May be confused with hybrids between Glaucous-winged Gull and either Herring or Western Gull.

Distribution

It is a common coastal breeding species in northeastern Asia, wintering southward to Japan, Korea and China. Frequently wanders to the western Alaska shorelines. Now annual in northeastern North America with records in many states.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Coastal areas.

Behaviour

Diet

Forager and a scavenger.

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Avianweb
Burger, J., Gochfeld, M., Garcia, E.F.J. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53985 on 15 March 2019).
Howell, S.N.G. & Dunn, J.L. (2007) Gulls of the Americas. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Malling Olsen, K. & Larsson, H. (2003) Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Christopher Helm, London.

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Slaty-backed Gull. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Slaty-backed_Gull

External Links

Search for photos of Slaty-backed Gull in the gallery

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Larus schistisagus
+[[Image:Slaty-backed_Gull.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|rb_stern|Richard B. Stern}}<br />Glace Bay, [[Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]], 3 January 2004]]
-[[Image:Slaty-backed_Gull.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by rb stern]]
+;[[:Category:Larus|Larus]] schistisagus
+'''Alternative Names: Kamchatka Gull, Pacific Gull.'''
 ==Identification==
-shot in Nova Scotia
+L. 27 inches (68.5 cm)
+====Breeding Adult====
+*White head, belly, and tail
+*Dark, slaty-gray back and wings
+**Broad white trailing edge
+[[Image:IMG 4100.jpg|thumb|350px|right|First cycle<br />Photo &copy by {{user|Ayuwat+J|Ayuwat J}}<br />Beppu, Oita, Japan]]
+*Underside of wings features a "string of pearls" along the edges
+**Can be seen from below when the bird is in flight
+*Yellow eyes
+*Pink legs (appear shorter than similar gulls)
+*Body appears stouter than similar gulls
+*Yellow bill with orange-red subterminal band
+====Immature====
+Highly variable.  First cycle mostly brown with brownish wing-tips.  May have bleached greater coverts.  Second cycle similar but with dark slaty-colored mantle feathers.  Third cycle similar to adult but with brown smudging on wing coverts and black spots on otherwise white tail.
-The Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus), also known as the Kamchatka Gull, is a large white-headed gull that breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. Claims have been made as to its (sometimes occasional) presence throughout North America as well as the eastern coast of Asia. 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, Larus pacificus.
+===Similar Species===
+[[Image:Slaty-backedGullIMG 0962.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Second cycle<br />Photo &copy by {{user|jmorlan|Joseph Morlan}}<br />Choshi Port, Chiba Prefecture, [[Japan]], 9 February 2019]]
+The wings and back are slightly darker than those of the [[Western Gull]].  Slaty-backed usually shows extended secondaries forming a "skirt."  Relatively short primary projection and pot-bellied look.  Immature is similar to [[Great Black-backed Gull]], but paler; lacks checkered appearance of that species.  Usually distinguished from [[Herring Gull]] by brown rather than black wing-tips and relatively plain pattern on greater coverts.  May be confused with hybrids between [[Glaucous-winged Gull]] and either Herring or Western Gull.
+==Distribution==
+It is a common coastal breeding species in northeastern [[Asia]], wintering southward to [[Japan]], [[Korea]] and [[China]].  Frequently wanders to the western [[Alaska]] shorelines. Now annual in northeastern North America with records in many states.
+==Taxonomy==
+This is a [[Dictionary_M-O#M|monotypic]] species<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
+==Habitat==
+Coastal areas.
+==Behaviour==
+====Diet====
+[[Image:Slaty-backed Gull1.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|DaninJapan|Daniel Smith}}<br />Akuna, Kagoshima, [[Japan]], 23 January 2009]]
+Forager and a scavenger.
+==References==
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#[https://www.beautyofbirds.com/slatybackedgulls.html Avianweb]
+#Burger, J., Gochfeld, M., Garcia, E.F.J. & Kirwan, G.M. (2019). Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/53985 on 15 March 2019).
+#Howell, S.N.G. & Dunn, J.L. (2007) Gulls of the Americas. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
+#Malling Olsen, K. & Larsson, H. (2003) Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America. Christopher Helm, London.
+{{ref}}
-The Slaty-backed Gull is a very large gull at 27 inches (68.5 centimeters) long. 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 underside of the wings features 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. Immature gulls' plumage is brown, similar to the that of the Great Black-backed Gull, but paler.
+==External Links==
+{{GSearch|Larus+schistisagus}}
-Like other gulls, the Slaty-backed Gull is both a forager and a scavenger
+[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Larus]]
-==External Links==
-*[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?mcats=all&what=allfields&si=Slaty-backed+Gull View more images of Slaty-backed Gull in the gallery]
-[[Category:Birds]]