Thayer's Gull was long one of the most controversial identification challenges in North American birding — it was recognized as a full species from 1973 to 2017, when the AOS merged it back into Iceland Gull as a subspecies. It breeds on High Arctic cliffs in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and winters along the Pacific Coast. Its intermediate appearance between Herring and Iceland Gulls made it the center of fierce identification debates for decades.
Habitat
High Arctic cliffs when breeding; Pacific Coast bays and harbors in winter
Diet
Fish, invertebrates, and carrion
How common
Uncommon
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