Black-tailed Gull

Larus crassirostrisOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Codes: Common Name: BTGU Scientific Name: LARCRA ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176831

Related Birds

California Gull
Heermann's Gull

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Black-tailed Gull: Large gull with white head, neck, breast, and underparts; light charcoal-gray wings and back; large yellow bill with black ring above red tip; pale yellow eyes with red orbital ring; short yellow legs and feet; long wings; telltale short black tail with white edge.

Range and Habitat

Black-tailed Gull: Nomadic. Primarily Asian straggler, casual to coastal Alaska and northeastern North America, as far south as Virginia; has been seen in San Diego Bay.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body

Voice Text

"kaoo-kaoo"

Interesting Facts

The Black-tailed Gull has a cat-like call, giving it its Japanese name-Umineko, or Sea cat, and Korean name-Gwaeng-yi gull, which means cat gull.

There are about 11 records for Alaska and another 9 or so for the rest of North America, including sightings as far south as Belize and as far east as Newfoundland.

A study in Japan found that their eggs come in three shapes, 68% are conical, 23% are longitudinal and 9% are oval.

A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

John Schwarz

Artist

David Wenzel

Percevia^® Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The Percevia field guides, database and search protocol patent pending.

The best bird guide and bird watching search engine to identify birds!

Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Black-tailed Gull

● Song: "kaoo-kaoo"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black-tailed Gull: Frequents seashores; often forages while wading, swimming, or walking; eats small fish, especially smelt and greenlings; also eats insects, crustaceans, carrion, and refuse. Will catch insects or other food in flight.

● Breeding & nesting: Black-tailed Gull: Monogamous, colonial. Two to three green to brown eggs with dark spots are laid in a nest of dry grass, on ledges, slopes, and small cliffs hidden by vegetation. Incubation ranges from 24 to 27 days and is carried out by both sexes; young fed by both sexes. First flight at 30 to 40 days.

● Similar species: Black-tailed Gull: Belcher's Gull has darker blackish upperwings and mantle, dark eyes with yellow orbital ring, and longer legs. California Gull has billl with red gonys spot but no red tip and almost no black, dark eye, and lighter mantle.

Flight Pattern

Strong direct flight with deep wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Black-tailed Gull: Nomadic. Primarily Asian straggler, casual to coastal Alaska and northeastern North America, as far south as Virginia; has been seen in San Diego Bay.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationCasual in AK, Rare in North America

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight20.8 Ounces

Gull-like Body

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America