The 'Swallow-tailed Gull' is an equatorial
seabird in the
gull family Laridae. The species is
endemic to the
Galapagos Islands. When it is not breeding it is totally pelagic, migrating eastward to the coasts of
Ecuador and
Peru.
It is unique within the gulls for feeding exclusively
at night (Harris 1970), feeding mostly on
squid. It breeds
colonially throughout the year; unlike most other gull species it lays a single egg per breeding attempt (Agreda & Anderson 2003) .
A type of fish that glows can be seen from above the water, making it easy for the Swallow-tailed Gull to see and attack it at night.
References
★ Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
★ Agreda, ANA & Anderson, David J. (2003) "Evolution of single-chick broods in the Swallow-tailed Gull ''Creagrus furcatus''." Ibis 145 (2), E53-E58.
★ Harris, M (1970) "Breeding ecology of the Swallow-tailed Gull" ''Auk'' '87'(2): 215-243
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