Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus glaucoides (Iceland Gull)
About the Iceland Gull
The Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides) is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not in Iceland (as its name suggests), where it is only seen during winter. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name glaucoides denotes its resemblance to Larus glaucus, a synonym of Larus hyperboreus, the glaucous gull; -oides is Ancient Greek and means "resembling".
The Iceland gull is a medium-sized gull, although relatively slender and light in weight. In length, it can measure from 50 to 64 cm (20 to 25 in), wingspan is from 115 to 150 cm (45 to 59 in), and weight is from 480 to 1,100 g (1.06 to 2.43 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 37.9 to 44.3 cm (14.9 to 17.4 in), the bill is 3.6 to 5.4 cm (1.4 to 2.1 in), and the tarsus is 4.9 to 6.7 cm (1.9 to 2.6 in). It is smaller and thinner-billed than the very large glaucous gull, and is usually smaller than the herring gull. It takes four years to reach maturity.
The call is a "laughing" cry like the herring gull, but higher pitched. It is migratory, wintering from in the North... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Heermann's Gull
Larus heermanni
California Gull
Larus californicus
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 14 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 15 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 16 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 21 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Iceland Gull in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Iceland Gull sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 138 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Iceland Gull in Saguaro National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Iceland Gull in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.