GULLS AND TERNS   -   LARIDAE

Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus Genovesa Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. The world's prettiest gull? I think it is. Fitting that they only breed on the Galapagos, justly called Las Islas Encantadas, The Enchanted Islands. (S5)

Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus Genovesa Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. (S5)

Swallow-tailed Gull Creagrus furcatus Genovesa Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. Juvenile. (S5)

Andean Gull Chroicocephalus serranus Antisana reserve, Napo province, Ecuador. The middle one is in breeding plumage with a complete dark hood, the right one is just coming into it, and the left one is still in non-breeding plumage. (S4)

Brown-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus maculipennis Cassino, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. (D4)

Gray-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus cirrocephalus Santa Rosa, Lambayeque department, Peru. The closer one is in non-breeding plumage. This species also occurs in Africa. (S6)

Gray-hooded Gull Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus cirrocephalus Santa Rosa, Lambayeque department, Peru. (S6)

Dolphin Gull Leucophaeus scoresbii Punta Delgada, Region XII, Chile. First year bird. A scarce gull found only in extreme southern South America. (S5)

Gray Gull Leucophaeus modestus Concón, Region V, Chile. A unique gull of pacific coastlines of central South America. They nest in bleak deserts, well inlands. That's a Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus) that it's bothering. (S5)

Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Concón, Region V, Chile. Franklin's Gulls are only winter visitors to South America, though there are occasional sightings during the boreal summer. (S5)

Lava Gull Leucophaeus fuliginosus Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador. Endemic to the Galapagos. While this gull can be seen fairly easily on most visits, BirdLife estimates the population at only 600-800 individuals, making it one of the rarest gulls in the world. (S5)

Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus dominicanus Concón, Region V, Chile. One of the most widespread gulls in the world, being found in much of Africa and Australasia as well. (S5)

Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus dominicanus Concón, Region V, Chile. First year individual. (S5)

Brown Noddy Anous stolidus galapagensis Bolívar channel between Isabela and Fernandina Islands, Galapagos, Ecuador. With Galapagos Shearwaters Puffinus subalaris. (S5)

Yellow-billed Tern Sternula superciliaris Transpantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. This tern occurs mainly along larger rivers in South America, but it does occur locally along the coast. (S6)

Large-billed Tern Phaetusa simplex simplex Transpantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Like the Yellow-billed Tern S. supercilaris, it also occurs mostly along larger rivers in South America, where the two species are frequently found together. It does occur locally along the coast as well. (S6)

Large-billed Tern Phaetusa simplex simplex Transpantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. (S6)

Inca Tern Larosterna inca Concón, Region V, Chile. (S5)

Black Tern Chlidonias niger surinamensis Puerto Angel, Oaxaca state, Mexico. Juvenile. (S5)

South American Tern Sterna hirundinacea Northern Tierra del Fuego, Region XII, Chile. (D3)

Snowy-cowned Tern Sterna trudeaui Laguna Mar Chiquita, Córdoba province, Argentina. Mixed in with some Gray-hooded Gulls (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus). A long-distance digiscoped shot in the wind, but the distinctive head and bill pattern are still visible. (D3)

Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus maximus La Ensenada Lodge, Guanacaste province, Costa Rica. (S6)