Gulls  

are smaller to medium sized waterbirds with webbed feet and make up the Larinae, one of four subfamilies of the Laridae family in the order of Charadriiformes. The other 3 subfamilies and closely related to them are the Jaegers (and skuas), terns and skimmers. They are cosmopolitan and 51 species in 12 genera of Gulls exist worldwide. On mainland Ecuador exist 12 species of gulls, most of them boreal and austral visitants, with only 3 species breeding on mainland Ecuador. Most are encountered along the Pacific coast but one specie, the Andean Gull is found on lakes and ponds in the higher paramo regions. Galapagos boasts of two gull species the endemic Lava Gull and the Swallow-tailed Gull, both breeding on the isles.

Gulls are opportunistic feeders foraging basically on anything. This is the main reason that gulls are one of the few birds which actually benefited by mankind as they can adapt very rapidly to changes in the environment, not being dependent on any specific foods. Typically they feed on fish and marine invertebrates but they take also mammals, other birds and their eggs, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fruits or any waste food, thus they are often found in large numbers on landfills. They also scavenge on carrion and are kleptoparasitic, harassing other birds and stealing their food. The Swallow-tailed Gull is unusual among them as it feeds at night catching squid on the open ocean.

Gulls are also known to hybridize among each other freely and commonly, which makes classifications of the species difficult. Sexes are alike with the males being a little bit larger than females. It takes gulls 4 - 5 years to acquire their adult look going through various plumage variations. Gulls nest mostly on the ground and both male and females build a large mound, cup or mat of vegetation. Females lay 1- 4 eggs which both males and females incubate for up to 5 weeks. The hatching is asynchronous and the chicks have a downy coat in the beginning and are semi-precocial. Both parents take care and feed the chicks. Most adult species have a red dot at the end of their bill, at which the newborn instinctively peck and stimulate so their parents to regurgitate the food for them.

The small paramo pond of Limpiopungo in the Cotopaxi National Park serves as a nesting site for several Andean Gulls and other waterfowl. The gulls use the tiny grass-covered islands and put their nests right on the ground in a mat of vegetation.

Birding Vocabulary

Boreal visitant: bird breeding in the northern hemisphere and found in the country only in the non-breeding season

Austral visitant: bird breeding in the southern hemisphere and visiting the country in the non-breeding season