The Pacific Gull - Larus pacificus

 The Pacific Gull - Larus pacificus

[Device used: Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-70; Tooradin, Victoria, Australia; MAR/2020]

Large dark-backed gull with enormous golden yellow bill with thick red tip (red on both upper and lower parts of beak), yellow legs, black tail tip. Juvenile is heavily marked grayish. Occurs mainly along the coast of southern Australia. Identified from Kelp Gull by larger size, thicker bill, and black tail tip.[1]

          [Device used: Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-70; Tooradin, Victoria, Australia; MAR/2020]

Pacific Gulls are Australia’s largest gull and they have the largest and deepest bill of any gull. It differs from the similar Kelp Gull in being larger in body and bill, in having:

• ·         red on both mandibles, not only on the lower mandible,
• ·         a rounded nostril and not a slit-like nostril,
• ·         a black sub-terminal band on the tail not a pure white tail and,
• ·         a narrow white edge to the secondaries whereas the Kelp Gull has a broad white band. [2]

        [Device used: Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ-70; Tooradin, Victoria, Australia; MAR/2020]

The Pacific Gull is endemic to southern Australia and occurs mostly on south and west coasts, Tasmania and infrequently on the east coast.

Distribution: 

The Pacific Gull is endemic to southern Australia and occurs mostly on south and west coasts, Tasmania and infrequently on the east coast.

Habitat: 

The Pacific Gull prefers sandy, or less often, rocky coasts and sandy beaches. In eastern Australia, the Pacific Gull prefers areas that are protected from ocean swells such as estuaries, bays and harbours. In Western Australia, it occurs occasionally in harbours but mostly on exposed coasts and offshore islands. It usually avoids human habitation but is occasionally seen on farmland and rubbish tips near the coast but rarely inland. It can be found roosting or loafing in elevated situations such as rocky headlands or on structures such as wharves and jetties. [3]

Pacific Gulls are moderately common along the marine shores of the mainland, Kangaroo Island and on smaller islands. They may rarely be found along the Adelaide coast. They prefer sandy coasts and beaches and are less often found on rocky coasts. They do not penetrate far inland but occasionally they may be seen on farmland and rubbish tips near the ocean, or a short way up rivers.

Adults are relatively sedentary, but the young disperse for distances up to 200km.

Two subspecies of Pacific Gull occur in South Australia:

• ·         Larus pacificus pacificus Latham, 1801 – far South-East.
• ·         Larus pacificus georgii  P.P.King, 1826 – remaining coastline [4]