Pacific Gull

1. Thick yellow bill with a red tip on both mandibles

2. White tail with a black band near the tip

3. Larger and heavier build than the Kelp Gull

Pacific Gulls are carnivorous, feeding on fish, crabs, molluscs, and other marine invertebrates. They are known for dropping shellfish or crabs onto rocks to break them open. Breeding occurs from October to January, usually as single pairs or in small colonies on islands or headlands. Nests are simple scrapes or shallow bowls lined with vegetation. Both parents build the nest, with the female primarily incubating the eggs while the male guards and forages; both parents feed the chicks. Two subspecies are recognised: the eastern *Larus pacificus pacificus*, found in southeast Australia and Tasmania, and the western *Larus pacificus georgii*, found from South Australia to Western Australia. The Pacific Gull is not considered threatened overall, but its numbers have declined in some areas due to competition from the introduced Kelp Gull.

Pacific Gulls are found along the southern coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, from Carnarvon in Western Australia to Sydney in New South Wales. They prefer beaches, rocky headlands, estuaries, bays, and offshore islands, and are most often seen in less urbanized, natural coastal areas.