The Pacific gull (''Larus pacificus'') is a very large

gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century ...

, native to the coasts of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a result of competition from the

kelp gull The kelp gull (''Larus dominicanus''), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate ''L. d. dominicanus'' is the subspecies found around South America, part ...

, which has "self-introduced" since the 1940s. Much larger than the ubiquitous

silver gull The silver gull (''Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae'') is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (''Larus pacificus''), which ...

, and nowhere near as common, Pacific gulls are usually seen alone or in pairs, loafing around the shoreline, steadily patrolling high above the edge of the water, or (sometimes) zooming high on the breeze to drop a

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...

or sea urchin onto rocks.

Diet

The gulls' diet consists of a number various fish species and invertebrates. They frequently consume crabs, most often the species ''

Ovalipes australiensis ''Ovalipes australiensis'' is a species of crab found in southern Australia. Its range extends from Western Australia to Queensland, including Tasmania. It is fished commercially and recreationally, although it is not as important as the blue ...

'' and ''

Paragrapsus gaimardii ''Paragrapsus'' is a genus of crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirel ...

.'' They also commonly eat '' Platycephalus bassensis'' (sand flatheads) and cephalapods, both of which are sourced from their regular consumption of waste from fish which have been cleaned on wharves and beaches. Additionally, they may eat insects, eggs, and other seabirds. The gulls may be found scavenging abattoirs and in rubbish tips, where they will often steal food from other birds.

Taxonomy

The Pacific gull was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 from a

Thomas Watling Thomas Watling (19 September 1762 – 1814?), was an early Australian painter and illustrator, notable for his natural history drawings and landscapes. Early life and education Born in Dumfries, Scotland, he was raised by his maiden aunt, Ma ...

drawing, where the local name had been recorded as ''Troo-gad-dill''. Its specific epithet refers to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. Two

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognised: the nominate race ''L. p. pacificus'' from the south-east coast and

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, and ''L. p. georgii'' from

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

Description

Pacific gulls are the only large gulls in their range, besides the occasional kelp gull. This species can range in length from and span across the wings.Harrison, Peter, ''Seabirds: An Identification Guide''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (1991), They typically weigh from . This species is mostly white, with dark wings and back, and a very thick (when compared to other gull species), powerful, red-tipped yellow bill. They have salt glands that secrete salty water through the nostrils. Young birds are mottled-brown all over, and attain their adult plumage only gradually; by its fourth year, a young Pacific gull has usually become difficult to tell apart from an adult bird. Adult and juvenile pacific gulls

Of the two

, the nominate eastern race prefers sheltered beaches, and the western race ''L. p. georgii'' is commonly found even on exposed shores. Both subspecies nest in pairs or loose colonies on offshore islands, making a cup of grasses and sticks in an exposed position, and laying two or three mottled brown eggs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q619065

Pacific gull The Pacific gull (''Larus pacificus'') is a very large gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and Sydney in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a re ...

Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria (Australia) Birds of Western Australia Endemic birds of Australia