Larus cachinnans

Larus cachinnans (*)

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Subsectio: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Euornithes
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Ornithurae
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Lari

Familia: Laridae
Subfamilia: Larinae
Genus: Larus
Species: Larus cachinnans
Name

Larus cachinnans Pallas, 1811
Synonymy

Larus argentatus cachinnans

References

Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica 2: 318.
Mlíkovský, J. & Loskot, V.M. 2013. Neotypification of Larus cachinnans Pallas, 1811 (Aves: Laridae). Zootaxa 3637(4): 478–483. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3637.4.7 Reference page.

Vernacular names
العربية: نورس قزويني
asturianu: Gavilueta
azərbaycanca: Gümüşü qağayı
беларуская: Чайка-рагатуха
български: Жълтокрака чайка
বাংলা: হলদেপা গাঙচিল
brezhoneg: Gouelan gris ar c'hreisteiz
català: Gavià caspi
čeština: Racek bělohlavý
Cymraeg: Gwylan Bontaidd
dansk: Kaspisk Måge
Deutsch: Steppenmöwe
Ελληνικά: Κασπικός Γλάρος
English: Caspian Gull
Esperanto: Kaspia arĝentmevo
español: Gaviota del Caspio
eesti: Koldjalg-hõbekajakas
euskara: Kaio hankahori
فارسی: کاکایی خزری
suomi: Aroharmaalokki
français: Goéland pontique
Frysk: Pontyske Sulvermiuw
galego: Gaivota do Caspio
עברית: שחף כוזרי
hrvatski: Galeb klaukavac
magyar: Sztyeppi sirály
հայերեն: Որոր քրքջան
íslenska: Klapparmáfur
italiano: Gabbiano del Caspio
日本語: キアシセグロカモメ
ქართული: ვერცხლისფერი თოლია
қазақша: Єгізшағала
한국어: 카스피해갈매기
Lëtzebuergesch: Steppeméiw
lietuvių: Kaspijinis kiras
latviešu: Kaspijas kaija
македонски: Сребренаст галеб
монгол: Бархираа цахлай
Malti: Gawwija Prima
Nederlands: Pontische meeuw
norsk: Kaspimåke
Diné bizaad: Bilį́į́ʼ Ńdeiltihii Dineʼé Bikéyahdę́ę́ʼ tónteel tsídii
polski: Mewa białogłowa
پنجابی: کیسپین گل
rumantsch: Muetta d'argient mediterrana
română: Pescăruş pontic
русский: Хохотунья
slovenčina: Čajka bielohlavá
slovenščina: Rumenonogi galeb
shqip: Pulëbardha këmbëverdhë
српски / srpski: Сињи галеб
svenska: Kaspisk trut
ไทย: นกนางนวลขาเหลือง
Türkçe: Gümüş martı
українська: Мартин жовтоногий
vèneto: Martinazzo
Tiếng Việt: Mòng biển Caspi
中文: 黃腳銀鷗

The Caspian gull (Larus cachinnans) is a large gull and a member of the herring and lesser black-backed gull complex. The scientific name is from Latin. Larus appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and cachinnans means 'laughing', from cachinnare 'to laugh'.[2]

Description

It is a large gull at 56–68 cm (22–27 in) long, with a 137 to 155 cm (54 to 61 in) wingspan and a body mass of 680–1,590 g (1.50–3.51 lb).[3][4] Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 38.5 to 48 cm (15.2 to 18.9 in), the bill is 4.6 to 6.4 cm (1.8 to 2.5 in) and the tarsus is 5.8 to 7.7 cm (2.3 to 3.0 in).[4] The Caspian gull has a long, slender bill, accentuated by the sloping forehead. The legs, wings, and neck are longer than those of the herring gull and yellow-legged gull. The eye is small and often dark, and the legs vary from pale pink to a pale yellowish colour. The back and wings are a slightly darker shade of grey than the herring gull, but slightly paler than the yellow-legged gull. The outermost primary feather has a large white tip and a white tongue running up the inner web.

First-winter birds have a pale head with dark streaking on the back of the neck. The underparts are pale and the back is greyish. The greater and median wing coverts have whitish tips forming two pale lines across the wing.
Distribution

The Caspian gull breeds around the Black and Caspian Seas, extending eastwards across Central Asia to north-west China. In Europe, it has been spreading north and west and now breeds in Poland and eastern Germany. Some birds migrate south as far as the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, while others disperse into Western Europe, in countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark or the Benelux and even North of France. Small numbers are now seen regularly in Britain, especially in South-east England, East Anglia, and the Midlands.
Breeding
Eggs, collection Museum Wiesbaden

It typically nests on flat, low-lying ground by water, unlike the yellow-legged gull, which mainly nests on cliffs in areas where the two overlap. The breeding season starts from early April. Two or three eggs are laid and incubated for 27 to 31 days.
Feeding

They are scavengers and predators with a very varied diet. During the breeding season, they often eat rodents such as ground squirrels, flying some distance into the steppes to find them.
Classification and subspecies

This form has a troubled taxonomic history, summarised in the herring gull article. The Caspian gull used to be treated as a subspecies of the herring gull, but it is now treated as a full species by many authorities (e.g. the British Ornithologists' Union records committee). Some authorities include the yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis) within L. cachinnans, but it is also now commonly considered to be a separate species.

The steppe gull or Baraba gull (L. (cachinnans) barabensis) may be regarded as a subspecies of the Caspian gull or as a separate species. It is also very similar genetically to its northern neighbour, the taimyrensis race of Heuglin's gull. The steppe gull breeds in Central Asia, particularly northern Kazakhstan. Its nonbreeding range is still little-known, but most are thought to winter in southwestern Asia from the Persian Gulf to northwestern India. There are possible records of this form from Hong Kong and South Korea.

The Mongolian gull (L. (vegae/cachinnans) mongolicus) may be classed as a subspecies of the Caspian gull, a subspecies of the Vega gull, or as a species in its own right. It breeds in Mongolia and the surrounding areas and migrates southeast in winter.

Young Caspian gulls in Poland

Juvenile

In Danube Biosphere Reserve

References

BirdLife International (2018). "Larus cachinnans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22735929A132665415. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22735929A132665415.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 82, 219. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Dunning, John B., Jr., ed. (1992). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-4258-5.

Olsen, Klaus Malling; Larsson, Hans (2004). Gulls of North America, Europe, and Asia. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691119977.