Swallow-tailed Gull
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| Creagrus furcatus (Neboux, 1846) |
The Swallow-tailed Gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. The species is endemic to the Galapagos Islands. When it is not breeding it is totally pelagic, migrating eastward to the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
It is unique within the gulls for feeding exclusively at night (Harris 1970), feeding mostly on squid. It breeds colonially throughout the year; unlike most other gull species it lays a single egg per breeding attempt (Agreda & Anderson 2003) .
A type of fish that glows can be seen from above the water, making it easy for the Swallow-tailed Gull to see and attack it at night.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Creagrus furcatus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Agreda, ANA & Anderson, David J. (2003) "Evolution of single-chick broods in the Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus." Ibis 145 (2), E53-E58.
- Harris, M (1970) "Breeding ecology of the Swallow-tailed Gull" Auk 87(2): 215-243 [1]
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