About the California Gull
The California gull is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull. Although named after California, it can be found annually across most of western North America, from the Canadian prairie provinces in the northeast and south through western Mexico.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
Adults are similar in appearance to the herring gull, but with brown eyes, yellow legs, and a more rounded head. The body is mainly white with grey back and upper wings. The bill is yellow with a black ring and red spot near the tip. They have black primaries with white tips. Immature birds are also similar in appearance to immature herring gulls, with browner plumage than immature ring-billed gulls. Length can range from 46 to 55 cm (18 to 22 in), the wingspan 122–137 cm (48–54 in) and body mass can vary from 430 to 1,045 g (0.948 to 2.304 lb).
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the California Gull sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Guatemala, Ecuador, Costa Rica.
When to see it
Peak activity in September · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Western GullLarus occidentalisThe western gull is a large white-headed gull that lives on the west coast of North America and the Pacific Ocean.
Yellow-legged GullLarus michahellisThe yellow-legged gull is a large gull, though the size does vary, with the smallest females being scarcely larger than a common gull and the largest males being roughly the size of a great black-backed gull.
Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescensThis gull is a large bird, being close in size and shape to the closely related Western gull (L. occidentalis).
Side by side: California Gull vs Common Gull · California Gull vs Caspian Tern · California Gull vs Yellow-legged Gull · California Gull vs Glaucous-winged Gull
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