Dolphin Gull

The Dolphin Gull (Leucophaeus scoresbii), a bird of southern reaches, is distinguished by its greyish plumage, with the wings donning a darker hue. This species should not be confused with the Red-billed Gull of New Zealand, despite some superficial similarities.

Identification Tips

One can identify the Dolphin Gull by its grey feathers and the notably darker shade of its wings. Its presence is often a common sight around seabird colonies.

Habitat

This coastal bird favors the rocky, muddy, and sandy shores, where it can be observed engaging in its daily routines.

Distribution

Native to the southern regions of Chile and Argentina, as well as the Falkland Islands, the Dolphin Gull occasionally ventures as a vagrant to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

Behaviour

An opportunistic predator and scavenger, the Dolphin Gull has a penchant for carrion, offal, bird eggs, nestlings, and marine invertebrates. It is known to exploit human disturbances in seabird nesting areas, seizing the opportunity to raid nests in the absence of adult birds.

Breeding

Breeding in small colonies, sometimes up to 200 pairs, the Dolphin Gull prefers low cliffs, sand or shingle beaches, headlands, or marshy depressions for nesting. The breeding season sees the laying of two to three eggs in December, with the fledging of chicks occurring by March.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Dolphin Gull is varied, including mussels, carrion, and other available food sources. It is also known to scavenge around marine mammals for dead fish, placentae, and faeces.

Conservation status

The IUCN has classified the Dolphin Gull as "Least Concern," owing to its stable population, wide range, and an estimated total population of 10,000 to 28,000 individuals.