Glaucous-winged Gulls breed along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Oregon and most remain close to their breeding areas in winter. They are a familiar sight in developed areas. Populations are higher than they were historically, having recovered from a low point after egg harvesting stopped in the early 1900s (Blight et al. 2015). However, Breeding Bird Survey results suggest a moderate decrease in the abundance since 1970, which is supported by winter surveys in British Columbia. Counts of nesting birds at breeding colonies corroborate these more recent declines, potentially related to increasing disturbance and predation by Bald Eagles at breeding colonies. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
Declining numbers of Bald Eagles and increasing availability of garbage may have contributed to the increases in Glaucous-winged Gull abundance observed until the 1990s (Hayward and Verbeek 2008). Conversely, increasing disturbance at nesting colonies from recovering Bald Eagle populations is believed to be contributing to the recent declines in the Strait of Georgia (Blight et al. 2015). Also, studies have documented a significant decline in egg size, clutch size, and productivity. This declining investment in reproduction may reflect changes in the availability of their marine prey and an increasing reliance on lower quality non-fish food, which may contribute to observed declines (Blight 2011, Blight et al. 2015).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
