Slaty-backed Gull

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

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

Illustration © Copyright 2002-2007 Whatbird.com
Click here for licensing information

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.

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

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