Iceland gull

The Iceland gull (Larus glaucoides) is a medium-sized gull. Despite its name, it does not breed in Iceland; it only appears there during winter. Its breeding grounds are in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland. The genus name comes from the Latin *larus*, which likely referred to a gull or other large seabird. The species name *glaucoides* indicates its similarity to the glaucous gull (*Larus hyperboreus*), as *-oides* is Ancient Greek for "resembling."

This gull is relatively slender and light for its size. Adults measure 50 to 64 cm (20 to 25 in) in length, with a wingspan of 115 to 150 cm (45 to 59 in) and a weight of 480 to 1,100 g (1.06 to 2.43 lb). Standard measurements include a wing chord of 37.9 to 44.3 cm (14.9 to 17.4 in), a bill of 3.6 to 5.4 cm (1.4 to 2.1 in), and a tarsus of 4.9 to 6.7 cm (1.9 to 2.6 in). It is smaller and has a thinner bill than the much larger glaucous gull, and it is usually smaller than the herring gull. It takes four years to reach full maturity.

Its call is a laughing cry similar to that of the herring gull, but higher in pitch.

The Iceland gull is migratory. It winters in the North Atlantic as far south as the British Isles and the northernmost states of the eastern United States, and also in the interior of North America as far west as the western Great Lakes. In Europe, it is much less common than the similar glaucous gull. It breeds either in colonies or singly on coasts and cliffs, building a nest lined with grass, moss, or seaweed on the ground or a cliff. It typically lays two or three light brown eggs. Like most *Larus* gulls, it is omnivorous, eating fish, molluscs, offal, scraps, and eggs. It forages while flying, picking up food at or just below the water’s surface, and also feeds while walking or swimming. Its scavenging habits lead it to garbage dumps, sewage outlets, and places where fish are cleaned.

As of 2017, the American Ornithological Society recognizes three subspecies: Kumlien’s gull (*L. g. kumlieni*), Thayer’s gull (*L. g. thayeri*), and the nominate subspecies (*L. g. glaucoides*). The nominate form is very pale in all plumages, with no melanin in the tips of the primaries in adult plumage. Adults have pale grey upperparts and a yellowish-green bill. Immatures are very pale grey, with a bill that is more extensively dark than that of the glaucous gull and lacks pink.