Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Coast of Peru
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Coast of Peru
Age: Sub-adult, 3rd Year | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Coast of Peru
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Coast of Peru
Identification & Behavior: ~60 cm (23.6 in). The Kelp Gull is mostly white with black back and white tail. The legs and bill are yellow with a red tip only on the lower mandible. The juvenile is mottled brown with a pale head and neck. It is similar to the Belcher’s Gull in alternate plumage but is distinguished by larger size, white tail, and red tip of the bill only on the lower mandible. The juvenile Kelp Gull has a pale head versus dusky brown in the Belcher’s or Band-tailed Gull.
Status: The Kelp Gull is a common resident along the coast of Peru. It also occurs in Ec, Br, and Ch.
Name in Spanish: Gaviota Dominicana.
Sub-species: Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), M. H. C. Lichtenstein 1823.
Meaning of Name: Larus: Gr. A gull. dominicanus: L. an allusion to the black and white robes of the Dominican friars.
See more of the Family Laridae 
Distribution Map
Voice
VoiceReferences:
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- Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.