Thayer's Gull -- South Dakota Birds

Thayer's Gull

Larus thayeri

The Thayer's Gull was once considered a slightly smaller sub-species of the Herring Gull, and is very similar.  Its status is still in question, with some still considering a race of Herring Gull, and others calling it and the Iceland Gull different races of the same species.

Habitat: Summer habitat is rocky island coasts in the Arctic.  Winters primarily along coastal areas, including areas well offshore. Will forage inland from the coast, but rarely found well inland.

Diet: Wide variety of items, including fish, squid, crustaceans, eggs and young birds, berries, carrion, and refuse.

Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota.

Song: Familiar gull's kee-yow

Migrations: Summers in high Arctic.  Most winter along the Pacific Coast.  Rarely ventures inland.

Similar Species: Herring Gull, Glaucous-Winged Gull, Iceland Gull.  See Identification Tips.

Status: Numbers stable.

Further Information: 1) USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Thayer's Gull

2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Thayer's Gull"

3) E-nature.com: Thayer's Gull

Photo Information: Photo taken near Pierre by Doug Backlund

Return to Species Page

Return to Main Page

Proud Member Of:

Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl

This page was last edited on 02/03/08