(Common Birds in Wallaroo) · iNaturalist Australia

Larus pacificus

Summary ⁷

The Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) is a very large gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common between Carnarvon in the west, and Sydney in the east, although it has become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a result of competition from the Kelp Gull, which has "self-introduced" since the 1940s.

Range description ⁸

This species is endemic to Australia. The subspecies pacificus breeds in Tasmania, on many Bass Strait islands and westward along the Victorian coast from Wilson's Promontory to the South Australian border. The subspecies georgii is found on the coasts of south-western Western Australia and western South Australia. Its range has expanded in recent years northwards along the Western Australian coast (Wetlands International 2006).

Habitat and ecology ⁹

Habitat and Ecology

As with other coastal species, L. pacificus is prone to disturbance both while breeding and feeding. Most nest sites are protected, however, by their inaccessibility, and the species has proved adaptable in exploiting new food sources provided by urbanisation (Garnett and Crowley 2000). It has a diverse diet including fish, squid, intertidal molluscs, echinoderms and crabs, fish offal, carrion and refuse. Breeding occurs between September and January, either in small and open colonies or solitary (del Hoyo et al. 1996).

Systems

Terrestrial
Marine

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing ¹⁰

Maximum longevity: 14.5 years (captivity)

Iucn red list assessment ¹¹

Red List Category

Least Concern

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2012

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s

Butchart, S. & Symes, A.

Contributor/s

Justification

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size may be moderately small to large, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Sources and Credits

(c) Leo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/49828152@N00/4702517921
George Dvorsky, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/76055.jpg
(c) Petr Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/40269.jpg
(c) Petr Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/40460.jpg
(c) Petr Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/40650.jpg
(c) Petr Baum, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/61402.jpg
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_pacificus
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31109948
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31109950
(c) Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/3208556
(c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31109947

More Info

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Summary 7

Range description 8

Habitat and ecology 9

Lifespan, longevity, and ageing 10

Iucn red list assessment 11