Glaucous-winged Gull

Glaucous-winged Gulls are Abundant year round.

Habitat

Glaucous-winged Gulls are commonly found in bays and estuaries, and on beaches and rocky shorelines. They also frequent freshwater lakes, agricultural fields, cities, suburbs, towns, parking lots, and garbage dumps in Western Washington. Nesting habitat is mainly low, flat islands, with sandy, rocky, or gravel substrates. Building roofs in cities along Puget Sound have also been used as nesting habitat. Nests within Puget Sound are usually located in human-altered habitats, while nests along the coast are typically in natural settings.

Behavior

Glaucous-winged Gulls forage in a variety of styles--while walking, flying, or swimming. Like other large gulls, they have been observed dropping shellfish onto rocks and other hard surfaces from far above in order to crack them open. They steal food from other seabirds and prey on young birds, especially those nesting nearby. Very bold, they will approach picnic tables and other human-occupied areas, scavenging and looking for handouts.

Non Breeding

Breeding