Lava Gull

Leucophaeus fuliginosus (Gould, 1841)

Lava Gull, Leucophaeus fuliginosus, is a gull of the Galápagos coasts in South America, where it is confined to the islands there. It was first described by Gould in 1841. This is the rarest gull in the world and a member of the hooded gull group. It breeds on the ground, usually near calm water and often under coastal vegetation, and pairs keep well apart from one another. The species is also known as the dusky gull and has a dark hood that does not change with the seasons.

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Breeding range

South America: coasts of Galápagos