Swallow-tailed Gull
Where to Look
- Punta Suarez
- Genovesa Island
Related Galapagos Species
Franklin's Gull
Identification
Adults have distinctive grey plumage and dark grey heads when breeding. Juveniles seperated from other gulls by mottled dark brown-black and white backs.
Description
Adults found in the Galapagos exclusively in breeding plumage with dark grey heads, light grey to white underparts, grey upperparts, pinkish legs, black bills with a white spot at its base and a pale tip and a prominent red eye-ring. In flight the deeply forked tail is vissible. Sexes are alike. Juveniles are overall white with mottled dark grey brown and white backs, pale pink legs, all black bills, dark eyes and a black eye-patch.
Galapagos Distribution
Found throughout the archipelago’s shorlines and open ocean, but most common in the east and least common in the cold waters between Fernandina and Isabella. There are over 50 breeding colonies dotted throughout the Galapagos.
Global Distribution
Breeds only on Malpelo Island off west Colombia outside of the Galapagos. Here there are only 50 breeding pairs anually. When not breeding, it is highly pelagic, dispersing SE over the open ocean from central Colombia to central Chille. Aults return to their breeding colonies after roughly 5 month at sea to breed again.
Status in the Galapagos
A common breeding visitor and near endemic with 10 000 to 15 000 breeding pairs visiting the Galapagos each year. This species breeds throughout the year so at any given moment a fraction of the total population is present on the Galapagos.