Swallow-tailed Gull
Creagrus furcatus
The Swallow-tailed Gull (Creagrus furcatus) is a rare skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 9 countries, weighing about 687 g. The swallow-tailed gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family, Laridae.
About the Swallow-tailed Gull
The swallow-tailed gull is an equatorial seabird in the gull family, Laridae. It is the only species in the genus Creagrus, which derives from the Latin Creagra and the Greek kreourgos which means butcher, also from kreas, meat; according to Jobling it would mean "hook for meat" referring to the hooked bill of this species. It was first described by French naturalist and surgeon Adolphe-Simon Neboux in 1846. Its scientific name is originally derived from the Greek word for gull, "Glaros" and via Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is in the Galápagos Islands, particularly the rocky…
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How to identify it
The swallow-tailed gull has no structural or plumage differences between the male and female. In the breeding season, the adult has a black plumaged head and a bright red fleshy rim around each eye. Outside the breeding season, the head is white and the eye rim becomes black. It has a grayish upper breast, gray mantle, and black wingtips. The mostly black bill has a contrasting white tip. Voice: Calls and displays are quite different from other gulls, most resembling the vocalisations of the black-legged kittiwake and Sabine's gull. The loudest and most commonly heard call is an alarm referred to as "rattle-and-whistle", a gurgling scream made with the head moving side to side. This call is contagious, with other birds joining in without seeing the cause.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala.
When to see it
The Swallow-tailed Gull can be seen all year round, with peak activity in June. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Swallow-tailed Gull?
- The swallow-tailed gull has no structural or plumage differences between the male and female. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Swallow-tailed Gull?
- The Swallow-tailed Gull is a large sized bird weighing about 687 g.
- Where can you see a Swallow-tailed Gull?
- The Swallow-tailed Gull occurs in 9 countries, including Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia.
- What birds look similar to a Swallow-tailed Gull?
- The Swallow-tailed Gull is most easily confused with the Aleutian Tern, the Sooty Gull and the Lava Gull.
- Is the Swallow-tailed Gull endangered?
- The Swallow-tailed Gull is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Swallow-tailed Gull for real
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