Bird name:

Western Gull

Larus occidentalis

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

WEGU

Code 6

LAROCC

ITIS

176817

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Seashore, rocky or sandy, Rivers

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Buff to olive gray with dark brown blotches

Number of Eggs:

1 - 6

Incubation Days:

25 - 32

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Moss, weeds, grass.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

Western Gull: Large gull with gray upperparts and white head, neck, tail and underparts. Eyes are yellow. Bill is bright yellow with red spot near tip; legs and feet are pale pink. Upper wings are gray, white-edged and have white-spotted black tips. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has faint brown streaks on lower nape. Juvenile is brown with darker brown wings and tail, pale, finely barred rump and black bill. 1st winter resembles juvenile but begins to show pale base on lower mandible; 1st summer is paler. 2nd winter has gray on back and upperwings, brown streaks on head and neck, black tail, and black-tipped yellow bill. 3rd winter resembles winter adult but has brown markings around eyes, heavier streaking on lower nape, and black spot near tip of yellow bill. Interbreeds with Glaucous-winged Gull.

Range and Habitat

Western Gull: Breeds on Pacific coast from Washington to Baja California. During winter, regularly occurs north to British Columbia. Preferred habitats include coastal waterways, beaches, harbors, dumps, and open ocean.

Breeding and Nesting

Western Gull: Lays one to six buff to olive gray eggs with dark brown blotches in a grass- or seaweed-lined depression, slightly protected by broken terrain. Usually nest in colonies on rocky headlands, islands, or dikes. Incubation ranges from 25 to 32 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Western Gull: Diet consists of clams, crabs, sea urchins, young birds, seabird eggs, small vertebrates, and carrion. Aggressively challenges other birds for food.

Vocalization

Western Gull: Emits squeals and raucous notes.

Similar Species

Western Gull: Yellow-footed Gull is slightly larger, has yellow legs and feet, and has a paler back. Glaucous-winged Gull has paler back, gray primaries, and dark eye with red orbital ring.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America