Dolphin Gull
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dolphin Gull | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Larus scoresbii Traill, 1823 |
||||||||||||||
Synonyms | ||||||||||||||
Leucophaeus scoresbii |
The Dolphin Gull (Larus scoresbii), sometimes erroneously called the Red-billed Gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New Zealand), is a gull native to southern Chile and Argentina, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands. It is sometimes placed in its own monotypic genus Leucophaeus. It is a coastal bird inhabiting rocky, muddy and sandy shores and is often found around seabird colonies. They have grayish feathers, and the feathers on their wings are a darker shade. They lay 2 to 3 eggs in December. Dolphin Gulls eat many things from mussels to carrion.
The scientific name commemorates the English explorer William Scoresby.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Larus scoresbii. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 February 2007. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern