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_{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