Belcher's Gull
Larus belcheri
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 1,728
- Most observed in
- 🇵🇪 Peru
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
Belcher's gull (Larus belcheri), also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on the Atlantic coast of South America and is now accepted as a separate species Larus atlanticus. Belcher's gull is a medium-sized gull with a blackish mantle, white head and underparts, a black band on the otherwise white tail, and a yellow bill with a red and black tip. Non-breeding adults have a brownish-black head and a white eye-ring. The name commemorates the British explorer Sir Edward Belcher, who performed survey work on the Pacific coast of South America.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Belcher's gull”.