Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Andean gull is a high-mountain gull that breeds on the lagoons of the high Andean puna, far from any sea. In the breeding season it has a black hood and a red eye-ring. It descends partly to the Pacific coast in winter, but many populations stay at altitude all year, on lagoons that freeze overnight.

Weight

300 g – 450 g

Size

45 cm – 50 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainOceanFreshwaterOmnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Mountain Ocean Freshwater

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Fun facts

It breeds above 4,000 metres, on puna lagoons that freeze overnight: it is one of the highest-living gulls on the planet.
Many populations never see the sea: they feed on invertebrates from the high-altitude bogs and on Andean cropland, and only some descend to the Peruvian and Chilean coast in winter.
It shares the puna lagoons with the Andean flamingos and the giant coot, an assemblage of high-altitude waterbirds found nowhere else in the world.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: High Andean lagoons, bogs and wetlands of the puna, between 3,000 and 5,000 metres
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 25 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/