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Larus hyperboreus Gunnerus, 1767
Glaucous Gull
Florida native
These large light colored gulls are occasional on the winter beaches of Florida. The summer breeding area is the high arctic areas of Canada and Alaska. Glaucous gulls tend to stay farther north in the winter than other gulls, with the primary wintering area extending south along the coasts to Virginia and California, plus the Great Lakes. Those wintering farther south tend to be first or second year gulls.
Our second largest North American gull - with large black-backed gulls being the largest - adults are 68 cm (27 in.) in length with a wingspan of 1.5 m (59 in.). Having pale legs at all ages, adults have a yellowish bill with red on the lower mandible near the tip. Younger gulls have paler bills with black near the tips. Adult plumage is mostly white, with a light gray back and light streaking on the head. The first two years glaucous gulls are white with various degrees of pale brown mottling. Eyes are dark the first year, paler in second year gulls.
Larus hyperboreus is a member of the Laridae - Gulls, Terns & Skimmers family.
Other species of the Larus genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Larus delawarensis - RING-BILLED GULL
Larus marinus - GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL
Larus smithsonianus - HERRING GULL
iNaturalist profile for this species
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species
Date record last modified: Mar 03, 2025
