Larus californicus
The California Gull, *Larus californicus*, is a medium-sized gull, measuring 50-58 cm in length with a wingspan of 120-140 cm and weighing between 600-1100 g. Adults display a crisp white head and underparts, a medium-gray back and upper wings, and black wingtips adorned with distinct white 'mirrors' or 'pearls'. A key identification feature is its yellow bill, which sports a prominent black subterminal band and a bright red spot near the tip, complemented by yellow-green legs and a dark eye....
Primarily breeds on freshwater lakes and interior wetlands across arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, often utilizing islands or dikes; winters along coastal areas and agricultural fields, typically at low to moderate elevations.
An omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, consuming a wide range of items including insects (especially crickets, grasshoppers), fish, crustaceans, small mammals (e.g., voles), bird eggs and chicks, carrion, plant matter, and human refuse. Foraging methods are highly adaptable, ranging from active ...
California Gulls are highly diurnal, typically roosting communally on open water, sandbars, or sheltered shorelines. They are opportunistic and versatile foragers, employing techniques such as aerial dives for fish, surface skimming, walking on land to pick up insects, following agricultural mach...
The California Gull breeds primarily in interior western North America, extending from southern Canada (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) southward through the Great Basin states, including Utah, Nevada, California (eastern), Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. I...
Least Concern
- The California Gull is the state bird of Utah, designated in 1955. - It is famously credited with saving early Mormon settlers' crops from a cricket infestation in 1848, an event known as the 'Miracle of the Gulls. - Despite its name, the majority of its breeding range is far inland, extending ...