Skip to main content

Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus
Where I live we have heaps of Seagulls, Canadian Geese, and Pigeons. They're everywhere to the point that most people don't consider them to be especially remarkable. But of course, every animal is awesome in their own way, and even if you disagree, they still probably have really cool cousins (like every single Pigeon from New Guinea).

Case in point- today's animal, the Swallow-tailed Gull. This Seagull is found only on the Galapagos Islands, and it is unusual and unique among all of the Gulls because of its feeding habits.

Most Seagulls feed during the daytime, but not the Swallow-tailed Gull! They forage nocturnally for fish and squid. Because they hunt at night, they avoid being the victims of Kleptoparasitism (one of my favorite words!) Other Seabirds, like Frigatebirds, will steal food from hunting Gulls. Swallow-tailed Gulls don't have this issue, as the Frigatebirds practice their piracy during the daytime. The Gulls have even adapted eyes that allow them to see better in the dark.

Swallow-tailed Gulls live in very large seaside colonies, and they even build their nests on the cliff using twigs, corals, and even sea urchins to build their nests. They only lay one egg each season, which is also a relatively unique trait among Gulls, and both parents incubate and feed the chick until it leaves the nest 3-4 months later. Breeding pairs often stay together year after year.
IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Galapagos Islands
Size : Body length up to 22in (56cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Laridae -- Genus : Creagrus -- Species : C. furcatus
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 12, 2012 at 3:45 PM

    What a beautiful bird! And it's really neat that they are nocturnal, i never knew that any gull species were nocturnal.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a
60 comments
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more

Binturong

The Binturong ( Arctictis binturong ) also has an equally awesome alternate common name, the Bearcat! However, it really isn't much of a bear OR a cat. While it is true that it is part of the Feliforma suborder, it is not a member of family Felidae. Binturongs are a part of their own family, Viverridae, which is shared with Civets, Linsangs, and Genets. There are six subspecies of Binturong, all of which have slight differences based upon location and habitat. Binturongs range in body size from 60-100cm in length, (not including their tail which has roughly the same length) and weigh between 20 and 30lbs. Binturongs are nocturnal animals native to the rain forests of South East Asia. The species range spans through several countries including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are tree dwelling mammals, and have fully prehensile tails that basically double their body length and can be used to cling to the trees or to grasp food. Binturongs are phe
Post a Comment
Read more