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Bird name:

Slaty-backed Gull

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

Codes: Common Name: SBGU Scientific Name: LARSCH ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176816

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy, Rocky cliffs, Beaches, coastal

Breeding Type:

Colonial

Breeding Population:

Casual on the West coast, Casual in AK, Rare in North America

Egg Color:

Brown or olive buff with brown or black spots

Number of Eggs:

2 - 3

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

seaweed

Migration:

Migratory

General

Slaty-backed Gull: Large gull with dark slate-gray back and upper wings; darker outer primaries are separated from mantle by a staggered row of white spots. Underside of primaries are gray; broad white trailing edge to wings. Legs and feet are bright pink and eyes are yellow with red orbital ring; bill is yellow with red spot near tip. Sexes are similar. Winter adult shows brown streaking on head and neck and dark streak through eye. Juvenile is dull gray-brown with white lower belly and black bill; 1st winter is similar but shows more white on face and neck. 1st summer is mostly white with gray-brown mottling and splotches; outer primaries, secondaries, and tail remain dark; bill is black and the legs and feet are pale pink. 2nd year resembles winter adult but has paler wings, brown on nape, sides, belly, and undertail, and has dark spot at tip of yellow bill; retains black-tipped yellow bill through third winter.

Range and Habitat

Slaty-backed Gull: Coastal species of northeast Asia. Rare in coastal Alaska, most frequent in the Bering Sea. Casual in winter south to Pacific states.

Breeding and Nesting

Slaty-backed Gull: Colonial; seaweed nest on seacliffs, rocky, islands, or occasionally sandy beaches. Two to three brown or olive buff eggs spotted with brown or black. Incubation ranges from 26 to 28 days and is carried out by both sexes; first flight at 49 to 56 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Slaty-backed Gull: Forages on mudflats; omniverous; fish, seabird eggs and young, dead animals and birds, entrails.

Vocalization

Slaty-backed Gull: Deep, gutteral "kaaw," or "klaaw."

Similar Species

Slaty-backed Gull: Winter Western Gull has thicker bill, more extensive black on primary tips, absence of streaking on head and neck.

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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.

Slaty-backed Gull

Slaty-backed Gull: Large gull, slate-gray back, upper wings; dark outer primaries separated from mantle by row of white spots. Gray underside of primaries; broad white trailing edge to wings. Bright pink legs, feet. Yellow eyes with red orbital ring. Yellow bill has red spot near tip.

● Song: "kaaw", "klaaw"

● Foraging & Feeding: Slaty-backed Gull: Forages on mudflats; omniverous; fish, seabird eggs and young, dead animals and birds, entrails.

● Breeding & nesting: Slaty-backed Gull: Colonial; seaweed nest on seacliffs, rocky, islands, or occasionally sandy beaches. Two to three brown or olive buff eggs spotted with brown or black. Incubation ranges from 26 to 28 days and is carried out by both sexes; first flight at 49 to 56 days.

● Similar species: Slaty-backed Gull: Winter Western Gull has thicker bill, more extensive black on primary tips, absence of streaking on head and neck.

Flight Pattern

● Range & Habitat: Slaty-backed Gull: Coastal species of northeast Asia. Rare in coastal Alaska, most frequent in the Bering Sea. Casual in winter south to Pacific states.

^BreedingColonial

^PopulationCasual on the West coast, Casual in AK, Rare in North America

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight46.4 Ounces

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Mantle

The upper surface of the back and wings covered with shorter feathers.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Outer primaries

The outer primaries are the primary feathers on the wing farthest from the body. They often appear to be the longest feathers on the wing.

Primaries

The primaries are the flight feathers specialized for flight. They are attached to the "hand" equivalent part of the wing.

Secondaries

Flight feathers that are attached to the wing in the area similar to the human forearm and between the body and the primaries.

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

Slaty-backed Gull

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Slaty-backed Gull

Flight Pattern