The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
Iceland Gulls are medium-sized gulls with relatively slender, short bills. They have fairly long wings that extend well past the tail.
Relative Size
Larger than a Ring-billed Gull; smaller than a Herring Gull.
between crow and gooseMeasurements
- Both Sexes
- Length: 19.7-23.6 in (50-60 cm)
- Weight: 28.9-38.8 oz (820-1100 g)
- Wingspan: 45.3-53.9 in (115-137 cm)
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
Adults have pale gray back and wings, yellow bill, and white head and neck that are smudged brownish in winter plumage. Wingtips are extremely variable, typically gray to white in the East and darker in the West. Juveniles are light to medium brown mottled with white; immatures have pale gray backs with mottled brownish wings and dark bills. The legs are pink in all ages.
© Jeremiah Trimble / Macaulay Library - Behavior
Iceland Gulls are graceful fliers with fairly quick wingbeats. They often forage by flying low over the water and swooping down to pick up fish or other food without landing.
- Habitat
They breed on coastal cliffs in the high Arctic and forage in open water among pack ice. In winter they occur along coasts and forage close to shore, on beaches, and sometimes on lawns, agricultural fields, and garbage dumps.
© Dorian Anderson / Macaulay Library
Regional Differences
Iceland Gull consists of three subspecies that vary most noticeably by the color of the wingtips. The “Iceland” form breeds in Greenland and winters mainly in the North Atlantic (including Iceland). It has very pale to completely white wingtips. The “Kumlien’s” subspecies is the form most commonly seen in winter on the East Coast of North America. Its wingtips vary from nearly white to gray. The “Thayer’s” form (considered a separate species until 2017) winters on the West Coast of North America. It usually has slightly darker wings, dark gray to black wingtips, and heavy streaking or smudging on the head and neck in winter. There’s lots of overlap between each of these forms, and some individuals can’t be easily placed into a subspecies based on plumage.
