Chroicocephalus serranus
The Andean Gull, *Chroicocephalus serranus*, is a striking medium-sized gull, measuring approximately 45-50 cm in length with a wingspan of 120-130 cm and weighing 360-500 grams. Adults in breeding plumage exhibit a distinctive glossy black head, contrasting sharply with a white body, pale grey back, and upperwings; its primary tips are black with prominent white mirrors. Its bright red bill and legs, along with white crescent-shaped patches above and below the eye, are key field marks. In no...
Found exclusively in high-altitude wetlands, puna grasslands, and large freshwater lakes of the Andes, typically at elevations ranging from 2,500 to over 5,000 meters above sea level.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming beetles, grasshoppers, larvae, and earthworms, but also takes small fish, crustaceans, carrion, and refuse. They are highly opportunistic feeders, adapting their diet to available resources.
Andean Gulls are diurnal and highly gregarious, often forming large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the thousands, which roost communally near water bodies. Their foraging strategies are opportunistic and varied; they frequently walk in wet meadows, gleaning insects and...
The Andean Gull is endemic to the high Andes Mountains of South America, with its primary breeding range extending through Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina. It is a largely resident species, primarily undertaking altitudinal migrations rather than extensive latitudinal mo...
Least Concern
- The Andean Gull is the world's highest-breeding gull, regularly nesting at elevations exceeding 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level, and sometimes even above 5,000 meters. - Its striking black hood is a hallmark of its breeding plumage, setting it apart from many other gulls found in its...