An adult glaucous gull specimen (Larus hyperboreus), an uncommon seagull species in the Azores, was sighted at Graciosa Riding School, where it was collected and subsequently released by a Forest Ranger of the local Natural Park.

This was only the third recorded specimen of this species on the island of Graciosa. The glaucous gull is the largest gull that breeds in the Arctic. This species appears occasionally in the Azores as a result of bad weather conditions - wind and low temperatures - which have been registered in the archipelago.

Despite being rare in the Azores, the glaucous gull is one of several gull species that are spotted in the archipelago in addition to the Azorean endemic sub-species, commonly known as yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis atlantis).

The recording of uncommon bird species sighted in the Azores can be reported and/or consulted on Internet sites dedicated to this theme: Birds of the Azores (http://azores.avesdeportugal.info) and the Azores Bird Sightings (http:// azoresbs.weebly.com).