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Bird name:

Belcher's Gull

Larus belcheri

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

BEGU

Code 6

LARBEL

ITIS

176843

Breeding Location:

Beaches, coastal

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Common to uncommon

Egg Color:

Brown to olive with brown and gray blotches

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

28 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Leaves, moss and grasses.

Migration:

Migratory

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General

Belcher's Gull: Formerly known as the Band-tailed Gull, a medium-sized gull native to South America and accidental in California and Florida. Breeding adult has a mostly white body with black back, distinctive black tail band, and yellow legs and feet. Wings are black with white trailing edges. Bill is yellow; lower mandible tipped with red, upper mandible tipped with black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is similar but has a smoky brown head. 1st winter juvenile is heavily washed in brown, has dark tail band and dark feather centers on upperwings and back; legs and feet are tinted pink; bill is black tipped with dark red. 2nd winter juvenile resembles 1st winter but has more uniformly brown wing feathers, darker back, and pale yellow legs and feet.

Range and Habitat

Belcher's Gull: Native to Chile and Peru, accidental in Florida and California. Prefers rocky or sandy seashore, shallow coastal habitats, tidal flats, mudflats and open sea.

Breeding and Nesting

Belcher's Gull: Lays 3 brown to olive eggs with brown and gray blotches in a nest on the ground lined with leaves, moss and grass. Incubated for 28 to 30 days by both sexes.

Foraging and Feeding

Belcher's Gull: Eats insects, small fish, crustaceans, marine worms, carrion and refuse. It gathers food in flight and forages while wading. Will also prey on eggs and chicks of guano-producing birds. Harrasses cormaornts, forcing them to regurgiate their food. Does not follow ships.

Vocalization

Belcher's Gull: Not recorded

Similar Species

Belcher's Gull: Black-tailed gull has light yellow eyes, shorter legs, thinner bill and pale gray mantle and upperwings. Winter adult has gray brown smudge on head and nape.

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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.

Lower mandible

The lower part of the bill.

Upper mandible

The upper part of the bill.

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