We have a whole bunch of different shorebirds who seem to enjoy the Olympic Peninsula but my favorites are the gulls. They are big and loud and I think they’re beautiful.
In my area, we have two types of gulls: Western and Glaucus-winged. “Glaucus” derives from the Greek word for gray. Westerns are dark gray to black and white. The Glaucus-winged gulls are gray and white. Their gray is not dark, being closer to Puritan gray.
Both the Western gull and the Glaucus-winged gull are large. They are about two feet long, with a wing span of four and a half feet or so. Both are about four years old when they get their full coloration. In the Washington area, the two gulls have a hybrid zone, interbreeding with each other. Both types live about 15 years in the wild.
I find it difficult to determine the birds’ pedigree by looking at them but the Washington Audubon Society assures me that both kinds reside in my neighborhood, with more hybrids than distinct breeds.
The Western gull is a year-round resident from southern Washington to Baja California. It is migratory, moving to northern Washington and British Columbia during the nonbreeding season.
Glaucus-winged gulls can be found on the west coast from inside the Arctic Circle to Baja California. They will remain in the north as long as there is open water. As ice takes over, the gulls meander southward. They don’t seem to stage a long trek to warmer climes.
Both Western gulls and Glaucus-winged gulls are omnivorous. They are unable to dive into the water and feed exclusively on the surface when at sea. They feed freely in intertidal zones. They will eat carcasses and roadkill. And they are fond of human food. They frequent landfills, take food that’s given to them, and sometimes snatch food from humans. They will also snatch fish from a cormorant's or pelican's mouth before it is swallowed. They are thieves.
They can drink sea water, which I find extraordinary.
Nesting season is from May through July. Three eggs are laid and incubated for a month. Chick mortality is high, with on average one chick surviving to fledging.
Western gulls mate for life and are monogamous. Their gray pals, not so much.
Western Gull
Apparently, Glaucus wings will mate with any of their gull cousins. The Puritan in me wants to declare that they’re no better than they ought to be, but they do enter into long-term relationships (not necessarily for a lifetime). Perhaps they are just very loveable. They spread their DNA up and down the entire coastline and through a good part of the gull family tree. Darwin would probably say they are very successful from an evolutionary standpoint.
As I said, we have a lot of shorebirds on the shores of the Olympic Peninsula. And we have a lot of gulls. And they are a handsome lot, each and every one of them. They send their greetings.
