| Dolphin gull | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Beagle Channel, Argentina | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Leucophaeus |
| Species: | L. scoresbii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leucophaeus scoresbii (Traill, 1823)
| |
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Larus scoresbii, Gabianus scoresbii | |
The dolphin gull (Leucophaeus scoresbii), sometimes erroneously called the red-billed gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New Zealand), is a gull native to southern Chile and Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. It is a coastal bird inhabiting rocky, muddy and sandy shores and is often found around seabird colonies. They have greyish feathers, and the feathers on their wings are a darker shade. Dolphin gulls have a varied diet, eating many things ranging from mussels to carrion.
The modern scientific name Leucophaeus scoresbii, together with the obsolete common name Scoresby's gull, commemorates the English explorer William Scoresby (1789–1857).[2]
- ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Leucophaeus scoresbii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Hince, Bernadette (2000). The Antarctic Dictionary: A Complete Guide to Antarctic English. Csiro Publishing. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-643-10232-3. Retrieved 23 November 2011.