California Gull
Encyclopedia
The California Gull Larus californicus is a medium-sized gull
, smaller on average than the Herring Gull
but larger on average than the Ring-billed Gull
, though may overlap in size greatly with both.
Adults are similar in appearance to the Herring Gull, but have a smaller yellow bill with a black ring, yellow legs, brown eyes and a more rounded head. The body is mainly white with grey back and upper wings. 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 (18.1 to 21.7 in), the wingspan 122–137 cm (48–53.9 in) and body mass can vary from 430 to 1045 g (0.947987727394974 to 2.3 lb).
Their breeding habitat is lakes and marsh
es in interior western North America
from Northwest Territories
, Canada
south to eastern California
and Colorado
(Sibley 2000). They nest in colonies, sometimes with other birds. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with vegetation and feathers. The female usually lays 2 or 3 eggs. Both parents feed the young birds.
They are migratory
, most moving to the Pacific coast in winter. It is only then that this bird is regularly found in western California (Sibley 2000).
These birds forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking or wading. They mainly eat insects, fish and eggs. They also scavenge at garbage dumps or docks. They may follow plows in fields for insects stirred up by this activity.
Seagulls are known to be extremely annoying and a nuisance to residents of California, particularly beach goers and students in school campuses. It is not uncommon for a flock of seagulls to harass students and their food on a daily basis. Thus, the seagull has earned a very bad reputation among students and residents alike.
This is the state bird of Utah
, remembered for assisting Mormon
settlers in dealing with a plague of Mormon cricket
s. A monument
in Salt Lake City
commemorates this event, known as the "Miracle of the Gulls
".
There are two subspecies recognized, the nominate from the Great Basin
to central Montana
and Wyoming
, and the slightly larger, paler L. c. albertaensis with a more northerly distribution, ranging from Great Slave Lake
onto the Great Plains
of western Manitoba
and South Dakota
(Jehl, 1987). Although these subspecies are not well distinguishable by mtDNA allozyme
variation (Karl et al., 1987), they breed true and the low genetic divergence can be explained by separation during the Pleistocene
and renewed contact in Montana during more recent times (Jehl et al., 1990).
In California, the California Gull recently held the protected status California Species of Special Concern
due to declining numbers at their historic California breeding colony at Mono Lake
. However, in recent decades this species has begun to breed in the southern portion of San Francisco Bay
, where it did not historically breed, and has undergone exponential population growth. These California Gulls now inhabit large, remote salt-production ponds and levees and have a very large food source provided by nearby landfills from San Francisco
, San Jose
and other urban areas, all the way up into the Sacramento
area. The South Bay California Gull population has grown from less than 1,000 breeding birds in 1982 to over 33,000 in 2006. This population boom has resulted in large resident flocks of gulls that will opportunistically prey on other species, particularly the eggs and nestlings of other birds. Seriously threatened birds that share the same South Bay habitat include the Snowy Plover
and California Least Tern
, while less-threatened birds including Black-necked Stilt
s, American Avocet
s, Forster's Tern
s, and Caspian Tern
s are also preyed upon by the abnormally large flocks of California Gulls. Efforts are underway to reduce habitat for this species and find other ways to disperse the large numbers of gulls. (Ackerman et al. 2006)
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
, smaller on average than the Herring Gull
American Herring Gull
The American Herring Gull or Smithsonian Gull is a large gull which breeds in North America. It is often treated as a subspecies of the European Herring Gull but is now regarded as a separate species by some authorities.Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots,...
but larger on average than the Ring-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
The Ring-billed Gull is a medium-sized gull.Adults are length and with a wingspan. The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a dark ring; the back and wings are silver gray; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims...
, though may overlap in size greatly with both.
Adults are similar in appearance to the Herring Gull, but have a smaller yellow bill with a black ring, yellow legs, brown eyes and a more rounded head. The body is mainly white with grey back and upper wings. 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 (18.1 to 21.7 in), the wingspan 122–137 cm (48–53.9 in) and body mass can vary from 430 to 1045 g (0.947987727394974 to 2.3 lb).
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es in interior western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
from Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
south to eastern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
(Sibley 2000). They nest in colonies, sometimes with other birds. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with vegetation and feathers. The female usually lays 2 or 3 eggs. Both parents feed the young birds.
They are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, most moving to the Pacific coast in winter. It is only then that this bird is regularly found in western California (Sibley 2000).
These birds forage in flight or pick up objects while swimming, walking or wading. They mainly eat insects, fish and eggs. They also scavenge at garbage dumps or docks. They may follow plows in fields for insects stirred up by this activity.
Seagulls are known to be extremely annoying and a nuisance to residents of California, particularly beach goers and students in school campuses. It is not uncommon for a flock of seagulls to harass students and their food on a daily basis. Thus, the seagull has earned a very bad reputation among students and residents alike.
This is the state bird of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, remembered for assisting Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
settlers in dealing with a plague of Mormon cricket
Mormon cricket
The Mormon cricket is a large insect that can grow to almost three inches in length. They live throughout western North America in rangelands dominated by sagebrush and forbs....
s. A monument
Seagull Monument
The Seagull Monument is a small monument situated immediately in front of the Salt Lake Assembly Hall on Temple Square, in Salt Lake City, Utah...
in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
commemorates this event, known as the "Miracle of the Gulls
Miracle of the Gulls
The miracle of the gulls is often credited by Latter-day Saints for saving the Mormon pioneers' first harvest in Utah. According to Mormon folklore, seagulls miraculously saved the 1848 crops by eating thousands of insects that were devouring their fields.-Traditional story:After Brigham Young led...
".
There are two subspecies recognized, the nominate from the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
to central Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, and the slightly larger, paler L. c. albertaensis with a more northerly distribution, ranging from Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
onto the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
of western Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
(Jehl, 1987). Although these subspecies are not well distinguishable by mtDNA allozyme
Allozyme
Variant forms of an enzyme that are coded by different alleles at the same locus are called allozymes. These are opposed to isozymes, which are enzymes that perform the same function, but which are coded by genes located at different loci....
variation (Karl et al., 1987), they breed true and the low genetic divergence can be explained by separation during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
and renewed contact in Montana during more recent times (Jehl et al., 1990).
In California, the California Gull recently held the protected status California Species of Special Concern
California species of special concern
"Species of special concern" is a protective legal designation assigned by the California Department of Fish & Game to wildlife species that are at risk...
due to declining numbers at their historic California breeding colony at Mono Lake
Mono Lake
Mono Lake is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean...
. However, in recent decades this species has begun to breed in the southern portion of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
, where it did not historically breed, and has undergone exponential population growth. These California Gulls now inhabit large, remote salt-production ponds and levees and have a very large food source provided by nearby landfills from San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
and other urban areas, all the way up into the Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
area. The South Bay California Gull population has grown from less than 1,000 breeding birds in 1982 to over 33,000 in 2006. This population boom has resulted in large resident flocks of gulls that will opportunistically prey on other species, particularly the eggs and nestlings of other birds. Seriously threatened birds that share the same South Bay habitat include the Snowy Plover
Snowy Plover
The Snowy Plover is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western USA and the Caribbean...
and California Least Tern
California Least Tern
The Least Tern is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the Little Tern of the Old World...
, while less-threatened birds including Black-necked Stilt
Black-necked Stilt
The Black-necked Stilt is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. It is found from the coastal areas of California through much of the interior western United States and along the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Florida, then south through Central America and the Caribbean...
s, American Avocet
American Avocet
The American Avocet is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae.This avocet has long, thin, gray legs, giving it its colloquial name, "blue shanks". The plumage is black and white on the back with white on the underbelly. The neck and head are cinnamon colored in the summer...
s, Forster's Tern
Forster's Tern
The Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri, is a member of the tern family Sternidae. It breeds inland in North America and winters south to the Caribbean and northern South America....
s, and Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no subspecies accepted either...
s are also preyed upon by the abnormally large flocks of California Gulls. Efforts are underway to reduce habitat for this species and find other ways to disperse the large numbers of gulls. (Ackerman et al. 2006)
External links
- Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter: California gull information and pictures. Retrieved 2006-09-27
- California Gull Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- California Gull Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- California Gull at Animal Diversity Web