About the Belcher's Gull
Belcher's gull, also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on the Atlantic coast of South America and is now accepted as a separate species Larus atlanticus. Belcher's gull is a medium-sized gull with a blackish mantle, white head and underparts, a black band on the otherwise white tail, and a yellow bill with a red and black tip. Non-breeding adults have a brownish-black head and a white eye-ring. The name commemorates the British explorer Sir Edward Belcher, who performed survey work on the Pacific coast of South America.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) |
| Species | Larus belcheri |
| Species Codes | belgul, BEGU |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Belcher's Gull belong to?
The Belcher's Gull (Larus belcheri) belongs to the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae), in the order Charadriiformes.
How can I identify the Belcher's Gull?
Belcher's gull, also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on the Atlantic coast of South America and is now accepted as a separate specie...
Where can I report a Belcher's Gull sighting?
You can log sightings of Belcher's Gull on eBird (ebird.org) using species code belgul, or on iNaturalist.