Iceland Gull vs African Skimmer

Larus glaucoides compared with Rynchops flavirostris

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Iceland Gull African Skimmer
Scientific Name Larus glaucoides Rynchops flavirostris
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Laridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 79.2 cm (31.2 in) 66.4 cm (26.1 in)
Weight 911.5 g (32.15 oz) 165.66666666666666 g (5.84 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 1-3 1-5
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Iceland Gull only

None

African Skimmer only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Iceland Gull

Least Concern

African Skimmer

About These Birds

Iceland Gull

Iceland Gull, 50–64 cm, breeds in Greenland and winters on both sides of the North Atlantic to Great Lakes. White wing tips (like Glaucous Gull but considerably smaller), pink orbital ring. Omnivore; scavenges at harbours and landfills in winter. Two subspecies often treated as separate species.

African Skimmer

African Skimmer: 36–42 cm, black-and-white skimmer with a long bright orange-yellow bill where the lower mandible is longer than the upper. Flies low over large rivers and lakes, cutting the water surface with the lower bill to catch fish. Resident and partial migrant along large rivers and lakes of sub-Saharan Africa. NT.

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