Swallow-tailed Gull

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Swallow-tailed Gull

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Laridae
Genus:	Creagrus Bonaparte, 1854
Species:	C. furcatus

Binomial name

Creagrus furcatus
(Neboux, 1846)

The Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) is an equatorial seabird in the gull family Laridae. The species is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. When it is not breeding it is totally pelagic (flying and hunting over the open oceans), migrating eastward to the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. A notable aspect of the swallow-tailed gulls are the fleshy red rims around the eyes; it is speculated that these may aid its nocturnal vision.

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] Gallery

On rocky ground, Galápagos Islands

Flying, Galápagos Islands

Close-up of head and neck

A Swallow-tailed Gull chick

[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]