Stanley Park Ecology Society - Programs- Urban Wildlife

Close-up Map of Stanley Park (with driving directions to SPES)

Species

Mmm... Hard-shell seafood for dinner!

Glaucous-winged gulls have a distinctive "keow" call
The glaucous-winged gull is native to this area and all of the north Pacific coast
The glaucous-winged gull is a very territorial bird and most males will end up fighting (squabbling) in defense
Food items that have hard shells are thrown onto rocks from the air to break them open so the glaucous-winged gull can feed on them
Glaucous-winged gulls have been known to interbreed with the herring gull in Alaska and one mating pair of these species was found in British Columbia

Adult birds typically size 20-23 inches in length and weigh 900-1200 g
Their head and under-parts are white, which their back is silvery grey
Their plumage changes while breeding; when non-breeding, there is a dusky smudge on their head and neck

Breeding on cliffs

The glaucous-winged gull breeds on rocky islands and coastal cliffs
They forage at sea in intertidal areas, feeding on carrion, fish, invertebrates, seaweed, and stolen food from other marine birds

A glaucous-winged gull

The population of glaucous-winged gulls has increased by 3.5 times in the last 50 years due to the output of human wastes
Since these birds forage on human wastes, they are considered pests in areas of dense populations
Glaucous-winged gulls nest on flat rooftops of buildings, which is somewhat of a nuisance for building owners