Standard English Name(s): gulls
Local English Name(s): seagull
Scientific Name(s): Larus spp., especially L. canus Linnaeus (mew gull) and L. glaucescens Naumann (glaucous-winged gull)
Upriver Halkomelem Name(s):
Downriver Halkomelem Name(s):
Island Halkomelem Name(s):

Description, Habitat, Ecology, & Distribution:
     Twenty species of gulls are known to British Columbia, with several species occurring within the Halkomelem territory. Two species - mew gull and glaucous-winged gull - are very common and breed within the Halkomelem territory. The last of these species - the glaucous-winged gull - is widely known as the "seagull" of British Columbia.
     Glaucous-winged gulls are large (up to 69 cm [27 in]) white gulls with grey mantle and wings. Juveniles are darker grey-brown overall, becoming paler with more grey during the second year. These birds are found all along our coast along beaches, harbours, and in the open ocean. Like many other gulls, this species feeds on a range of dead and dying sea animals and it will scavenge from garbage in urban areas. This gull breeds throughout the coastal waters, generally in colonial nesting sites.

Upriver Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):
Downriver Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):
Island Halkomelem Cultural Role(s):
     Gull eggs, likely mainly of mew gull and glaucous-winged gull, were formerly gathered for food during June and July.