Volume 52, No. 2
Volumes > 38 (2010-->)
- Volume 52, No. 2, 2024
- Volume 52, No. 1, 2024
- Volume 51, No. 2, 2023
- Volume 51, No. 1, 2023
- Volume 50, No. 2, 2022
- Volume 50, No. 1, 2022
- Volume 49, No. 2, 2021
- Volume 49, No. 1, 2021
- Volume 48, No. 2, 2020
- Volume 48, No. 1, 2020
- Volume 47, No. 2, 2019
- Volume 47, No. 1, 2019
- Volume 46, No. 2, 2018
- Volume 46, No. 1, 2018
- Volume 45, No. 2, 2017
- Volume 45, No. 1, 2017
- Volume 44, No. 2, 2016
- Volume 44, No. 1, 2016
- Volume 43, No. 2, 2015
- Volume 43, No. 1, 2015
- Volume 42, No. 2, 2014
- Volume 42, No. 1, 2014
- Volume 41, No. 2, 2013
- Volume 41, No. 1, 2013
- Volume 41, Special Issue, 2013
- Volume 40, No. 2, 2012
- Volume 40, No. 1, 2012
- Volume 39, No. 2, 2011
- Volume 39, No. 1, 2011
- Volume 38, No. 2, 2010
- Volume 38, No. 1, 2010
Volumes 28-37 (2000-09)
- Volume 37, No. 3, 2009
- Volume 37, No. 2, 2009
- Volume 37, No. 1, 2009
- Volume 36, No. 2, 2008
- Volume 36, No. 1, 2008
- Volume 35, No. 2, 2007
- Volume 35, No. 1, 2007
- Volume 34, No. 2, 2006
- Volume 34, No. 1, 2006
- Volume 33, No. 2, 2005
- Volume 33, No. 1, 2005
- Volume 32, No. 2, 2004
- Volume 32, No. 1, 2004
- Volume 31, No. 2, 2003
- Volume 31, No. 1, 2003
- Volume 30, No. 2, 2002
- Volume 30, No. 1, 2002
- Volume 29, No. 2, 2001
- Volume 29, No. 1, 2001
- Volume 28, No. 2, 2000
- Volume 28, No. 1, 2000
Volumes 18-27 (1990-99)
- Volume 27, No. 1 & 2, 1999
- Volume 26, No. 1 & 2, 1998
- Volume 24, No. 1 & 2, 1996
- Volume 25, No. 1 & 2, 1997
- Volume 23, No. 2, 1995
- Volume 23, No. 1, 1995
- Volume 22, No. 2, 1994
- Volume 22, No. 1, 1994
- Volume 21, No. 1 & 2, 1993
- Volume 20, No. 1 & 2, 1992
- Volume 19, No. 1, 1991
- Volume 18, No. 1 & 2, 1990
Volumes 5-17 (1978-89) a.k.a 'Cormorant'
- Volume 17, No. 1 & 2, 1989
- Volume 16, No. 1, 1988
- Volume 16, No. 2, 1988
- Volume 15, No. 1 & 2, 1987
- Volume 14, No. 1 & 2, 1987
- Volume 13, No. 2, 1986
- Volume 13, No. 1, 1986
- Volume 12, No. 2, 1985
- Volume 12, No. 1, 1985
- Volume 11, No. 1 & 2, 1984
- Volume 10, No. 2, 1983
- Volume 10, No. 1, 1983
- Volume 9, No. 2, 1982
- Volume 9, No. 1, 1982
- Volume 8, No. 2, 1981
- Volume 8, No. 1, 1981
- Volume 7, 1980
- Volume 5, 1978
Search by author or title:
The distribution, abundance, and habitat use of wintering Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides thayeri in Northern California and comparisons with other Larus gulls.
Citation
MOORHOUSE, S.S. 2024. The distribution, abundance, and habitat use of wintering Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides thayeri in Northern California and comparisons with other Larus gulls. .
Marine Ornithology 52: 209
- 223
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.52.2.1584
Received 18 September 2023, accepted 01 March 2024
Date Published: 2024/10/15
Date Online: 2024/09/15
Key words: Iceland Gull, Larus glaucoides thayeri, Larus gulls, habitat use, behavior, wintering, Northern California
Abstract
Recent studies have provided significant insights, but relatively limited information is available on many aspects of the ecology and behavior of the Arctic-breeding Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides. In this study, the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of wintering Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides thayeri in Northern California, USA, were analyzed in 30 habitat types over three winters. A total of 6012 individuals was recorded, contributing 2.3% of the total Larus gulls recorded. The mean number of Iceland Gulls recorded per count was highest in sanitary landfills located in the Inner Coast Range, Central Valley, Inner Coast, and San Francisco Bay Plain areas. Mean counts were lower in shoreline and intertidal flat habitats on the Inner and Outer Coasts, and low in other habitats. The relative abundance of Iceland Gulls was similar among the habitats. Habitat use was most similar to the American Herring Gull L. smithsonianus and most different from the Western Gull L. occidentalis. Most Iceland Gulls observed were adults (70%), and the percentage slightly increased from the Outer Coast to more inland areas. The availability of substantial food resources at large landfills in the region, which includes four large metropolitan areas, probably accounts for the relatively large wintering population of Iceland Gulls at the southern end of their winter range. This food source may decrease in the future as new solid-waste management requirements are implemented in California. During the breeding period, primary elements of niche segregation between the Iceland Gull and sympatric large Larus gull species include nesting on coastal cliffs, concentrated use of coastal shoreline and inshore habitats for feeding, and use of different food items. In the non-breeding period, elements include differences in habitat use, feeding ecology, and feeding behavior. Abundant food sources may increase overlap in certain breeding and wintering habitats.
References
ACKERMAN, J.T., PETERSON, S.H., TSAO, D.C. & TAKEKAWA, J.Y. 2018. California Gull (Larus californicus) space use and timing of movements in relation to landfills and breeding colonies. Waterbirds 41: 384-400. doi:10.1675/063.041.0402
ALLARD, K.A., BRETON, A.R., GILCHRIST, H.G. & DIAMOND, A.W. 2006. Adult survival of Herring Gulls breeding in the Canadian Arctic. Waterbirds 29: 163-168.
ALLARD, K.A., GILCHRIST, H.G., BRETON, A.R., GILBERT, C.D. & MALLORY, M.L. 2010. Apparent survival of adult Thayer's and Glaucous Gulls nesting sympatrically in the Canadian High Arctic. Ardea 98: 43-50. doi:10.5253/078.098.0106
ANDERSON, C.M., GILCHRIST, H.G., RONCONI, R.A., ET AL. 2019. Winter home range and habitat selection differs among breeding populations of Herring Gulls in eastern North America. Movement Ecology 7: 8. doi:10.1186/s40462-019-0152-x
BELANT, J.L., ICKES, S.K. & SEAMANS, T.W. 1998. Importance of landfills to urban-nesting Herring and Ring-billed gulls. Landscape and Urban Planning 43: 11-19.
BELANT, J.L., SEAMANS, T.W., GABREY, S.W. & ICKES, S.K. 1993. Importance of landfills to nesting Herring Gulls. The Condor 95: 817-830.
BRIGGS, K.T., TYLER, W.B., LEWIS, D.B. & CARLSON, D.R. 1987. Bird Communities at Sea off California: 1975 to 1983. Studies in Avian Biology 11: 1-74.
BROWNING, M.R. 2022. Reassessment of taxonomic status of Thayer's Gull. Dutch Birding 44: 137-144.
BURGER, J. 1987. Foraging efficiency in gulls: A congeneric comparison of age differences in efficiency and age of maturity. Studies in Avian Biology 10: 83-90.
BURGER, J. 1988. Foraging behavior in gulls: Differences in method, prey, and habitat. Colonial Waterbirds 11: 9-23. doi:10.2307/1521165
BUSH, E. & LEMMEN, D.S. (Eds). 2019. Canada's Changing Climate Report. Ottawa, Canada: Government of Canada.
CALRECYCLE. 2023. SB 1383 Regulatory Organic Waste Collection Service Options and Requirements. Sacramento, USA: California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. [Accessed at https://calrecycle.ca.gov on 20 November 2023.]
CAMPBELL, R.W., DAWE, N.K., MCTAGGART-COWAN, I., ET AL. 2007. Birds of British Columbia. Vol. 2: Nonpasserines - Diurnal Birds of Prey through Woodpeckers. Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press.
CAMPHUYSEN, K.C.J., SHAMOUN-BARANES, J., VAN LOON, E.E. & BOUTEN, W. 2015. Sexually distinct foraging strategies in an omnivorous seabird. Marine Biology 162: 1417-1428. doi:10.1007/s00227-015-2678-9
CHESSER, R.T., BURNS, K.J., CICERO, C., ET AL. 2017. Fifty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithological Society's Check-list of North American Birds. The Auk 134: 751-773.
COGSWELL, H.L. 1977. Water Birds of California. Berkeley, USA: University of California Press.
CONOVER, M.R. 1983. Recent changes in Ring-billed and California Gull populations in the Western United States. The Wilson Bulletin 95: 362-383.
DOMALIK, A.D., MAFTEI, M., WRIGHT, K.G., HUDSON, S.A. & HIPFNER, J.M. 2021. Migration and winter habitat use of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) from Triangle Island, British Columbia. Waterbirds 44: 438-448. doi:10.1675/063.044.0405
DWIGHT, J. 1925. The gulls (Laridae) of the world: Their plumages, moults, variations, relationships, and distribution. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 52: 63-408.
EBIRD. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. Ithaca, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. [Accessed at http://www.ebird.org on 22 May 2023.]
FINK, D., AUER, T., JOHNSTON, A., ET AL. 2022. eBird Status and Trends. Data Version: 2021; Released 2022. Ithaca, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/eBirdst.2021
GARRETT, K. & DUNN, J. 1981. Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution. Los Angeles, USA: Los Angeles Audubon Society.
GASTON, A.J. & DECKER, R. 1985. Interbreeding of Thayer's Gull, Larus thayeri, and Kumlien's Gull, Larus glaucoides kumlieni, on Southhampton Island, Northwest Territories. Canadian Field-Naturalist 99: 257-259.
GASTON, A.J., DESCHAMPS, S. & GILCHRIST, H.G. 2009. Reproduction and survival of Glaucous Gulls breeding in an Arctic seabird colony. Journal of Field Ornithology 80: 135-145. doi:10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00215.x
GASTON, A.J., FRANCIS, C.M. & NISBET, I.C.T. 2013. Continued use of soft-metal bands on gulls in North America reduces the value of recovery data. Journal of Field Ornithology 84: 403-415. doi:10.1111/jofo.12039
GASTON, A.J., MAFTEI, M. & PASTRAN, S.A. 2024. Autumn marine bird populations in Queen Charlotte Strait and adjacent waters: A candidate for IBA/KBA status. Marine Ornithology 52: 1-15.
GASTON, A.J., MALLORY, M.L. & GILCHRIST, H.G. 2012. Populations and trends of Canadian Arctic seabirds. Polar Biology 35: 1221-1232. doi:10.1007/s00300-012-1168-5
GASTON, A.J., SMITH, S.A., SAUNDERS, R., STORM, G.I. & WHITNEY, J.A. 2007. Birds and marine mammals in southwestern Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Canada. Polar Record 43: 33-47. doi:10.1017/S0032247406005651
GILLIGAN, J., SMITH, M., ROGERS, D. & CONTRERAS, A. 1994. Birds of Oregon: Status and Distribution. McMinnville, USA: Cinclus Publications.
GREIG, S.A., COULSON, J.C. & MONAGHAN, P. 1983. Age-related differences in foraging success in the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). Animal Behavior 31: 1237-1243. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(83)80030-X
GREIG, S.A., COULSON, J.C. & MONAGHAN, P. 1985. Feeding strategies of male and female adult Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus). Behaviour 94: 41-59. doi:10.1163/156853985X00262
GUTOWSKY, S.E., HIPFNER, J.M., MAFTEI, M., ET AL. 2020. First insights into Thayer's Gull Larus glaucoides thayeri migratory and overwinter patterns along the Northeast Pacific coast. Marine Ornithology 48: 9-16.
HORTON, N., BROUGH, T. & ROCHARD, J.B.A. 1983. The importance of refuse tips to gulls wintering in an inland area of south-east England. Journal of Applied Ecology 20: 751-765. doi:10.2307/2403124
HOWELL, S.N.G. & DUNN, J. 2007. Gulls of the Americas. Peterson Reference Guides. Boston, USA: Houghton Mifflin.
HUNT, G.L., JR. & HUNT, M.W. 1973. Habitat partitioning by foraging gulls in Maine and northwestern Europe. The Auk 90: 827-839. doi:10.2307/4084363
INGOLFSSON, A. 1967. The Feeding Ecology of Five Species of Large Gulls (Larus) in Iceland. PhD dissertation. Ann Arbor, USA: University of Michigan. doi:10.7302/10190
KADLEC, J.A. 1976. A re-evaluation of mortality rates in adult Herring Gulls. Bird-Banding 47: 8-12. doi:10.2307/4512186
KADLEC, J.A. & DRURY, W.H. 1968. Structure of the New England Herring Gull population. Ecology 49: 644-676. doi:10.2307/1935530
KUBETZKI, U. & GARTHE, S. 2003. Distribution, diet, and habitat selection by four sympatrically breeding gull species in the south-eastern North Sea. Marine Biology 143: 199-207. doi:10.1007/s00227-003-1036-5
LANGLEY, L.P., BEARHOP, S., BURTON, N.H.K., ET AL. 2021. GPS tracking reveals landfill closures induce higher foraging effort and habitat switching in gulls. Movement Ecology 9: 56. doi:10.1186/s40462-021-00278-2
LATO, K.A., MADIGAN, D.J., VEIT, R.R. & THORNE, L.H. 2021. Closely related gull species show contrasting foraging strategies in an urban environment. Scientific Reports 11: 23619. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-02821-y
LEHMAN, P.E. 2022. The Birds of Santa Barbara County, California. Revised Edition, May 2022. Santa Barbara, USA: University of California. [Accessed at http://www.sbcobirding.com/lehmanbosbc.html on 26 May 2023.]
MACLEAN, A.A.E. 1986. Age-specific foraging ability and the evolution of deferred breeding in three species of gulls. The Wilson Bulletin 98: 267-279.
MACPHERSON, A.H. 1961. Observations on Canadian Arctic Larus Gulls and on the Taxonomy of L. thayeri Brooks. Technical Paper No. 7. Montreal, Canada: Arctic Institute of North America.
MARSHALL, D.B., HUNTER, M.G. & CONTRERAS, A.L. (Eds.). 2003. Birds of Oregon: A General Reference, 1st Edition. Corvallis, USA: Oregon State University Press.
MAYNARD, L.D. & RONCONI, R.A. 2018. Foraging behaviour of Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus near an urban centre in Atlantic Canada: Evidence of individual specialization from GPS tracking. Marine Ornithology 46: 27-32.
MONAGHAN, P. 1980. Dominance and dispersal between feeding sites in the Herring Gull (Larus argentatus). Animal Behaviour 28: 521-527. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(80)80060-1
MONAGHAN, P., METCALFE, N.B. & HANSELL, M.H. 1986. The influence of food availability and competition on the use of a feeding site by Herring Gulls Larus argentatus. Bird Study 33: 87-90. doi:10.1080/00063658609476901
MOORE, F.R. 1976. The dynamics of seasonal distribution of Great Lakes Herring Gulls. Bird-Banding 47: 141-159.
MOORHOUSE, S.S. 2021. The feeding ecology and behavior of breeding Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides kumlieni and comparisons with sympatric large Larus gulls on southwestern Baffin Island, Canada. Marine Ornithology 49: 83-90.
MORGAN, K.H., VERMEER, K. & MCKELVEY, R.W. 1991. Atlas of Pelagic Birds of Western Canada. Occasional Paper No. 72. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Wildlife Service.
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY. 2023. The Christmas Bird Count Current and Historical Results (online). New York, USA: National Audubon Society. [Accessed at http://www.christmasbirdcount.org on 17 May 2023.]
O'HANLON, N.J., THAXTER, C.B., BURTON, N.H.K., ET AL. 2022. Habitat selection and specialisation of Herring Gulls during the non-breeding season. Frontiers in Marine Science 9: 816881. doi:10.3389/fmars.2022.816881
OSTERBACK, A.-M.K., FRECHETTE, D.M., HAYES, S.A., SHAFFER, S.A. & MOORE, J.W. 2015. Long-term shifts in anthropogenic subsidies to gulls and implications for an imperiled fish. Biological Conservation 191: 606-613. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.07.038
PIEROTTI, R. & ANNETT, C. 2001. The ecology of Western Gulls in habitats varying in degree of urban influence. In: MARZLUFF, J.M., BOWMAN, R. & DONNELLY, R. (Eds.). Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World. Boston, USA: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1531-9_15
RICHARDS, J.M. & GASTON, A.J. (Eds.). 2018. Birds of Nunavut. Volume 1: Nonpasserines. Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press.
ROME, M.S. & ELLIS, J.C. 2004. Foraging ecology and interactions between Herring Gulls and Great Black-backed Gulls in New England. Waterbirds 27: 200-210. doi:10.1675/1524-4695(2004)027(200:FEAIBH)2.0.CO;2
SANGER, G.A. 1973. Pelagic records of Glaucous-winged and Herring Gulls in the North Pacific Ocean. The Auk 90: 384-393.
SCHMUTZ, J.A. & HOBSON, K.A. 1998. Geographic, temporal, and age-specific variation in diets of Glaucous Gulls in western Alaska. The Condor 100: 119-130. doi:10.2307/1369903
SEARCY, W.A. 1978. Foraging success in three age classes of Glaucous-winged Gulls. The Auk 95: 586-588. doi:10.1093/auk/95.3.586
SHAFFER, S.A., COCKERHAM, S., WARZYBOK, P., ET AL. 2017. Population-level plasticity in foraging behavior of Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis). Movement Ecology 5: 27. doi:10.1186/s40462-017-0118-9
SMITH, N.G. 1966. Evolution of some Arctic gulls (Larus): An experimental study of isolating mechanisms. Ornithological Monographs 4: 1-99. doi:10.2307/40166680
SNELL, R.R. 1989. Status of Larus gulls at Home Bay, Baffin Island. Colonial Waterbirds 12: 12-23. doi:10.2307/1521307
SNELL, R.R. 1991. Conflation of the observed and hypothesized: Smith's 1961 research in Home Bay, Baffin Island. Colonial Waterbirds 14: 196-202. doi:10.2307/1521513
SNELL, R.R. 2002. Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) and Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri). In: POOLE, A. & GILL, F. (Eds.). The Birds of North America. No. 699. Philadelphia, USA: The Birds of North America, Inc. doi:10.2173/tbna.699.p
SNELL, R.R., PYLE, P. & PATTEN, M.A. 2020. Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), version 1.0. In: RODEWALD, P.G. & KEENEY, B.K. (Eds.). Birds of the World. Ithaca, USA: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.y00478.01
SPEAR, L.B. 1988. Dispersal patterns of Western Gulls from Southeast Farallon Island. The Auk 105: 128-141.
SPEAR, L.B., PENNIMAN, T.M., PENNIMAN, J.F., CARTER, H.R. & AINLEY, D.G. 1987. Survivorship and mortality factors in a population of Western Gulls. Studies in Avian Biology 10: 44-56.
STALLCUP, R. 1990. Ocean Birds of the Nearshore Pacific: A Guide for the Sea-Going Naturalist. Stinson Beach, USA: Point Reyes Bird Observatory.
STEENWEG, R.J., RONCONI, R.A. & LEONARD, M.L. 2011. Seasonal and age-dependent dietary partitioning between the Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls. The Condor 113: 795-805. doi:10.1525/cond.2011.110004a
SUTTON, G.M. 1968. Review of Smith, N.G. 1966. Evolution of some Arctic gulls (Larus): An experimental study of isolating mechanisms. The Auk 85: 142-145. doi:10.2307/4083645
TERRILL, R. 2023. eBird Checklist S128392545. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. Ithaca, USA: eBird. [Accessed at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S128392545 on 20 May 2023.]
TOBISH, T.G., JR. 1995. Alaska Region. National Audubon Society Field Notes 49: 291-294.
TOBISH, T.G., JR. 1996. Alaska Region. National Audubon Society Field Notes 50: 318-321.
UNITT, P. 1984. The Birds of San Diego County. San Diego, USA: San Diego Society of Natural History.
UNITT, P. 2004. San Diego County Bird Atlas. San Diego, USA: San Diego Natural History Museum.
VERBEEK, N.A.M. 1977. Comparative feeding behavior of immature and adult Herring Gulls. The Wilson Bulletin 89: 415-421.
VERMEER, K., MORGAN, K.H., SMITH, G.E.J. & HAY, R. 1989. Fall distribution of pelagic birds over the shelf off SW Vancouver Island. Colonial Waterbirds 12: 207-214.
VERMEER, K. & MORGAN, K.H. (Eds.). 1997. The Ecology, Status, and Conservation of Marine and Shoreline Birds of the Queen Charlotte Islands. Occasional Paper No. 93. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Wildlife Service.
WAHL, T.R., TWEIT, B. & MLODINOW, S.G. (Eds.). 2005. Birds of Washington: Status and Distribution. Corvallis, USA: Oregon State University Press.
WASHBURN, B.E., BERNHARDT, G.E., KUTSCHBACH-BROHL, L., CHIPMAN, R.B. & FRANCOEUR, L.C. 2013. Foraging ecology of four gull species at a coastal-urban interface. The Condor 115: 67-76. doi:10.1525/cond.2013.110185
WEISER, E.L. & POWELL, A.N. 2011. Reduction of garbage in the diet of nonbreeding Glaucous Gulls corresponding to a change in waste management. Arctic 64: 220-226. doi:10.14430/arctic4101