Gulls of Australia

There are three different resident species of gull that can be found in and around Australia. One is endemic to Australia while the other two are not. Two are in the genus Larus, while one is in the genus Chroicocephalus. 

PACIFIC GULL Larus pacificus with SILVER GULLS Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

KELP GULL Larus dominicanus

SILVER GULL Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

The Pacific gull, Larus pacificus, is endemic to southern Australia. It has black wings, a white head, yellow legs, white underparts and a yellow beak with a red tip. Both mandibles of the beak have the red tip. Juveniles are mottled-brown with pinkish bills tipped in black. There are two subspecies. The eastern subspecies pacificus prefers sheltered beaches for its home, while the western georgii doesn't mind exposed shores. Both subspecies are uncommon and usually seen alone or in pairs. They eat molluscs, fish and other small marine animals. They often fly up and drop shellfish on rocks to try and break the shell. They nest in pairs or loose colonies on offshore islands. There are two types of nest. Some birds use a scrape in the ground lined with small stones or gravel, while others build small, shallow bowls made of sticks, grass, seaweed and feathers. Both parents build the nest and the female does most of the incubation, while the male guards the nest and brings the female food. One to three (usually two) eggs are laid. Altona Beach at low tide is a good place to see this bird.

The kelp gull, Larus dominicanus, can be found in southern Australia, most of the sub-Antarctic islands, New Zealand and parts of Africa and South America. It looks rather like a Pacific gull.  Indeed, the two species can be very hard to tell apart. However, two things can be used to tell them apart. The kelp gull is much smaller and less stocky than the large Pacific gull, and only one of its mandibles has a red tip. Juveniles look similar, coloured mottled brown. Like the Pacific gull it prefers sheltered parts of the coast. It mostly eats fish and crustaceans, but it doesn't mind scavenging when it gets to. Also like the Pacific gull, it drops shellfish from a height to crack open their shells. It nests in loose colonies or scattered pairs. The nest is either a loose pile of material on the ground near rocks, or a bowl of stems, grasses and seaweeds. Both adults build the nest, incubate the 2 to 3 eggs and feed the young.

The silver gull, Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae, is found throughout Australia and also in New Caledonia. It was once considered the same species as the closely related New Zealand red-billed gull and African Hartlaub's gull. It has a white head and underparts. Its wings are light grey, tipped with black. Adult birds have bright orange-red bills, eye-rings and legs. Immature and subadult birds have black where the adult birds have red. Juvenile birds have brown mottling on their wings and also have black bills, eye-rings and legs. Silver gulls can be found at pretty much any wetland and rarely fly far from land. They are successful scavengers who pester people for scraps and steal from food containers and rubbish tips. They will also eat worms, fish, insects and crustaceans. They nest in large colonies on offshore islands. Two broods are often raised in a year. The nest is a shallow scrape in the ground lined with vegetation. 3 eggs are laid. Both parents build the nest, incubate the eggs and feed the young.

Several other species have turned up in Australia as vagrants. Black-headed gulls, Sabine's gulls, laughing gulls, mew gulls, Franklin's gulls, black-tailed gulls and lesser black-backed gulls have all been seen. The laughing and Franklin's gulls are in the genus Leucophaeus. The black-headed gull is in the genus Chroicocephalus. The Sabine's gull is in the genus Xema. All the other vagrants are in the genus Larus.

Those are the gulls found in Australia.