Larus hyperboreus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CHARADRIIFORMES	LARIDAE

Scientific Name:

Larus hyperboreus

Species Authority:

Gunnerus, 1767

Common Name/s:

English

–

Glaucous Gull

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species breeds in the Arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. Birds breeding in northern Europe and Asia tend to remain near the colony year-round. Breeders in North America migrate south, being found in the North Pacific from California (USA) round to the extreme south-east of Russia, off the western coast of North America down to Virginia, and the Atlantic coast of Europe down to Brittany, France including the United Kingdom and Ireland¹.
Countries:	Native: Belgium; Canada; China; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Finland; France; Germany; Greenland; Iceland; Ireland; Japan; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of; Korea, Republic of; Latvia; Lithuania; Mexico; Netherlands; Norway; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Russian Federation; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Slovakia; Spain; Svalbard and Jan Mayen; Sweden; United Kingdom; United States Vagrant: Austria; Bermuda; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Hong Kong; Hungary; Israel; Italy; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Malta; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; Portugal; Serbia; Slovenia; Switzerland; Tunisia; Ukraine
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour Most populations of this species migrate southwards after breeding although some western Palearctic breeders remain on their breeding grounds throughout the year¹. The species breeds from mid-May to mid-June (the timing depending on latitude and ice conditions) in solitary pairs or small colonies¹, departing the breeding grounds from September to mid-October². Outside of the breeding season the species is gregarious and occurs in small or large flocks, up to tens of thousands gathering where food is temporarily abundant³ during the winter (e.g. at fishing harbours)². Habitat It breeds on sea cliffs and inshore islands^{1, 3}, particularly near human settlements and often near colonies of other gulls or geese¹. The species may also breed on islands in lakes near the coast^{1, 3} or on the edges of coastal lagoons³. Throughout the year the species forages over coasts, bays, harbours, inshore waters with sewage outfalls, the intertidal zone, land-fill sites, fishing wharves and large inland lakes¹. Diet Its diet consists of fish, molluscs, Echinoderms, crustaceans, rodents, adult and young birds, eggs (especially of ducks, auks and shorebirds), insects, berries and carrion¹. Breeding site The nest is a mound of seaweed and debris¹ usually placed on the edges of cliffs, rock pinnacles¹, rocky outcrops³, slopes¹ and occasionally on ice or snow³.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour Most populations of this species migrate southwards after breeding although some western Palearctic breeders remain on their breeding grounds throughout the year¹. The species breeds from mid-May to mid-June (the timing depending on latitude and ice conditions) in solitary pairs or small colonies¹, departing the breeding grounds from September to mid-October². Outside of the breeding season the species is gregarious and occurs in small or large flocks, up to tens of thousands gathering where food is temporarily abundant³ during the winter (e.g. at fishing harbours)². Habitat It breeds on sea cliffs and inshore islands^{1, 3}, particularly near human settlements and often near colonies of other gulls or geese¹. The species may also breed on islands in lakes near the coast^{1, 3} or on the edges of coastal lagoons³. Throughout the year the species forages over coasts, bays, harbours, inshore waters with sewage outfalls, the intertidal zone, land-fill sites, fishing wharves and large inland lakes¹. Diet Its diet consists of fish, molluscs, Echinoderms, crustaceans, rodents, adult and young birds, eggs (especially of ducks, auks and shorebirds), insects, berries and carrion¹. Breeding site The nest is a mound of seaweed and debris¹ usually placed on the edges of cliffs, rock pinnacles¹, rocky outcrops³, slopes¹ and occasionally on ice or snow³.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is threatened by organohalogen pollution in its Arctic breeding range^{5, 6} (there is evidence that organohalogen contaminants alter the species's basal metabolic rate⁵ and that organochlorines reduce the efficiency of its immune system⁶). In parts of its breeding range the species is also being displaced by Herring Gull Larus argentatus¹. Utilisation First year birds are hunted in Greenland, mainly between August and November⁴.

Major Threat(s):

The species is threatened by organohalogen pollution in its Arctic breeding range^{5, 6} (there is evidence that organohalogen contaminants alter the species's basal metabolic rate⁵ and that organochlorines reduce the efficiency of its immune system⁶). In parts of its breeding range the species is also being displaced by Herring Gull Larus argentatus¹. Utilisation First year birds are hunted in Greenland, mainly between August and November⁴.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Larus hyperboreus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 07 February 2012.
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