Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae

Kelp Gull

Larus dominicanus

Least Concern

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

The kelp gull is the large gull of the southern hemisphere: it occurs on the coasts of South America, southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the subantarctic islands, and is the only gull that breeds in Antarctica. It is opportunistic and aggressive, and its expansion, fed by landfill sites and fishery discards, has made it a problem for other seabirds.

Weight

850 g – 1.3 kg

Size

54 cm – 65 cm

Lifespan

25 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

OceanPolarIslandsOmnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Polar Islands

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Fun facts

On the Valdés Peninsula in Argentina it has developed behaviour that did not exist decades ago: it attacks living right whales at the surface to tear pieces of skin and blubber from their backs, to the point that the whales have changed the way they breathe so as to expose less of themselves.
It is the only gull that breeds in Antarctica, and also the only bird that feeds on limpets by dropping them from the air onto the rocks.
Its expansion, fed by landfill sites and discards, has turned it into a predator of penguin and cormorant colonies all along the South American coast.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Coasts, harbours, landfill sites and islands throughout the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica
Sexual maturity: 4 years
Gestation / incubation: 27 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 3 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_dominicanus