This YouTube video was produced by the American Bird Conservancy.
Although gulls are widely regarded as super-abundant (sometimes even characterized as pests), the handsome Lava Gull is a rare exception and is a sought-after sighting among avid birders.
The use of “lava” in this bird’s common name refers to the dark basalt lava rocks of its favored coastline habitats. This dark-plumaged “dusky gull” (a former nickname) can only be found in the Galápagos Islands. The Lava Gull is closely related to the Laughing Gull, a species common along beaches throughout the Americas. The Lava Gull, like the Laughing Gull and other “hooded gulls,” sports crisp plumage on its head in the breeding season. But the Lava Gull retains its “hood” year-round.
The Lava Gull is exceptional for another reason: It is the rarest gull in the world. Numbering no more than 800 individuals, its population is thought to be stable and was likely never very large given its limited distribution, but Lava Gulls are still vulnerable to threats.
Also known as: Dusky Gull, Gaviota de Lava (Spanish)
Learn more about the Lava Gull at: https://abcbirds.org/bird/lava-gull
American Bird Conservancy stands up for birds across the Americas. We halt bird extinctions, conserve vital habitats, eliminate key threats, and build the capacity of our partners.
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