Birds of the World
COAST BIRDS
Contents
Index
WORLD BIRDS
Contents
Index
ANECDOTES
TRAITS
Ratites
Tinamous
Cracids/Galli
Waterfowl
Screamers
Ducks
Penguins
Loons
Grebes
Procellarids
Albatrosses
Petrels
Storm-Petrels
Totipalmate Swm
Tropicbirds
Gannets/Boobies
Pelicans
Cormorants
Anhingas
Frigatebirds
Waders
Herons
Ibises
Storks
NW Vultures
Flamingos
Raptors
Gruiformes
Buttonquail
Bustards
Cranes
Rails
Shorebirds
Sandgrouse
Plovers
Oystercatchers
Stilts
Sandpipers
Gulls/Terns
Auks
Pigeons
Parrots
Turacos
Cuckoos
Owls
Frogmouths
Nightjars
Swifts/Humbd
Colies
Coraciae
Hornbills
Hoopoes
Trogons
Rollers
Kingfishers
Bee-eaters
Jacamars/Puffbd
Pici
Honeyguides
Woodpeckers
Barbets/Toucans
PASSERINES
NZ WRENS
OW SUBOSC
Broadbills
Pittas
NW SUBOSC
NW Flycatchers
Becards
Cotingas
Manakins
Antbirds
Ovenbirds
Woodcreepers
Antthrushes
Tapaculos
OSCINES
Lyre-/Scrub-birds
Bowerbirds
Aust. Wrens
Honeyeaters
Scrubwrens
Aust. Robins
Kinglets
Shrikes
Vireos
Whistlers
Corvids
Birds-of-Paradse
OW Orioles
Cuckoo-shrikes
Fantails
Drongos
Monarchs
Bush-shrikes
Wattle-eyes
Vangas
Waxwings
Dippers
Thrushes
OW Flycatchers
Starlings
Mimids
Nuthatches
N Creepers
Wrens
Gnatcatchers
Tits/Parids
Larks
Swallows
Leaf-Warblers
Bulbuls
Cisticolas
White-eyes
Babblers
OW Warblers
Flowerpeckers
Sunbirds
OW Sparrows
Accentors
Pipits
Estridids
Weavers
Whydahs
9-prim. Oscines
Fringillines
Carduelines
Hawaiian Honycrp
NW Sparrows
NW Warblers
Tanagers
Cardinals
NW Blackbirds
Charadriiformes / Lari - Galapagos Gulls
Pterocli - Sandgrouse
Charadrii - Shorebirds
Families: Seedsnipe, Plains-wanderer, Thick-knees, Plovers and Lapwings, Oystercatchers,
Ibisbill, Stilts and Avocets, Painted Snipe, Jacanas, Magellanic Plover, Sheathbills,
Sandpipers, Phalaropes
Lari - Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Families: Crab Plovers, Pratiincoles and Coursers, Jaegers and Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Alcae - Auks
Families: Auks
American Black Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Western Gull, Heermann's Gull, Lava Gull, Swallow-tailed Gull, Kelp Gull, Dolphin Gull, South American Tern
Masked, Southern, Red-wattled, and Northern Lapwings, White-tailed Plover,
Eurasian, Blackish, and American Black Oystercatchers, Pied Stilt,
Northern and Wattled Jacanas, Snowy Sheathbill, Willet, Sanderling, Western Sandpiper,
Red Phalarope, Alaskan shorebirds, Laughing Gull, Forster's Tern, Black Skimmer,
South Polar Skua, Bonaparte's Gull, Fairy Tern, Black Skimmer,
Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Klittliz's Murrelet, Black Guillemot, and Tufted Puffin
Lava Gulls are scavengers and will also eat lizards, hatchling iguanas and turtles, and may catch fish and small crustaceans.
They are solitary nesters. As scavengers, young become independent quickly after fledging. Their are only about 400 pairs scattered around the Galapagos, especially around ports and other areas where garbage may be discarded.
Note impervious nostril (you can look right through it to the other side)
Individuals leave the nest site at dusk and forage well out to sea. They probably feed on small fish and squid and can make use of bioluminescence by marine organisms while feeding. The red eye ring is thought to aid in night vision? They are also the only gull with white young - an aide in locating their chicks when returning at night? The white patch at the base of the bill may guide the feeding chick.
During our travels around the islands, we were often followed at night by gulls pacing the ship's progress. When moored with lights attracting fish (and sea lions and sharks), the gulls joined in feeding around the ship.
