Bird of the Week – Glaucous-winged Gull

WC is an unabashed Laridophile, a gull lover. And in coastal Alaska, one of the most common Alaska gulls is the Glaucous-winged Gull. The Glaucous-winged is a four-year gull, meaning it takes four years to reach maturity. Each year, each young bird goes through at least two different plumages, as do adults. So you have at least eight different-looking gulls, that are all Glaucous-winged. It can make gull identification a challenge. Adult breeding Glaucous-winged birds are fairly straightforward: a large gull, with no black in the wings or tail, and medium grey wings. Hard core birders also note the small…