| Dolphin gull | |
|---|---|
 | |
| InBeagle Channel,Argentina | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Leucophaeus |
| Species: | L. scoresbii |
| Binomial name | |
| Leucophaeus scoresbii (Traill, 1823) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
Larus scoresbii,Gabianus scoresbii | |
Thedolphin gull (Leucophaeus scoresbii), sometimes erroneously called thered-billed gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species fromNew Zealand), is a gull native to southernChile andArgentina, and theFalkland Islands. It is a coastal bird inhabiting rocky, muddy and sandy shores and is often found aroundseabird colonies. They have greyishfeathers, and the feathers on their wings are a darker shade. Dolphin gulls have a varied diet, eating many things ranging frommussels tocarrion.
The modern scientific nameLeucophaeus scoresbii, together with the obsolete common nameScoresby's gull, commemorates the English explorerWilliam Scoresby (1789–1857).[2]
The dolphin gull is found round the coasts of Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. It is a vagrant to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It is found on rocky coasts and in the vicinity of other colonies of seabirds, slaughterhouses, sewage outflows and farmyards.[1]
The dolphin gull is ascavenger and opportunisticpredator. It feeds on carrion, offal, bird eggs, nestlings, marine invertebrates and other natural food. When humans disturb nesting seabirds, it takes advantage of the absence of adult birds to raid their vacated nests. It was found that excluding humans from areas where cormorants were nesting increased the reproductive success of thecormorants.[3] It also takes advantage of the activities of marine mammals to scavenge for dead fish, placentae and faeces, which are a major attraction.[1]
Dolphin gulls nest in small colonies of up to 200 pairs and are usually on low cliffs, sand or shingle beaches, headlands or marshy depressions. Two to three eggs are laid in December and the chicks fledge in March. The older chicks gather together incrèches.[citation needed]
The dolphin gull is listed by theIUCN as being of "Least Concern". This is because it has a very wide range, has a stable population and an estimated total population of 10,000 to 28,000 individuals.[1]
Media related toLeucophaeus scoresbii at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toLeucophaeus scoresbii at Wikispecies