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A photo of a Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus)
Kelp Gull

Kelp Gull

Larus dominicanus

The kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate L. d. dominicanus is the subspecies found around South America, parts of Australia (where it overlaps with the Pacific gull), and New Zealand. The kelp gull superficially resembles two gulls from further north in the Atlantic Ocean, the lesser black-backed gull and the great black-backed gull and is intermediate in size between these two species. The adult kelp gull has black upper parts and wings. The head, underparts, tail, and the small "mirrors" at the wing tips are white. The bill is yellow with a red spot, and the legs are greenish-yellow (brighter and yellower when breeding, duller and greener when not breeding). The call is a strident ki-och. Juveniles have dull legs, a black bill, a dark band in the tail, and an overall grey-brown plumage densely edged whitish, but they rapidly get a pale base to the bill and largely white head and underparts. They take three or four years to reach maturity.
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Photos

Sightings

A map showing the sighting location
🕊
John Clark
Tuesday 30 May 2023 - 5:15am
New Zealand
A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ‰
Robert Flack
Friday 26 May 2023 - 8:57am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ…
Aart Verrips
Sunday 21 May 2023 - 9:05am
South Africa
A map showing the sighting location
ðŸĶ…
Aart Verrips
Saturday 20 May 2023 - 8:25am
South Africa
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