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Western Gull

Larus occidentalisOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Codes: Common Name: WEGU Scientific Name: LAROCC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176817
Least Concern
 
Western Gull: The breeding adult Western Gull has gray upperparts and white head, neck, tail, and underparts. Upper wings are gray, white-edged and have white-spotted black tips. Eyes are yellow. Bill is bright yellow with red spot near tip; legs and feet are pale pink.
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Overview

Western Gull: Large gull, gray upperparts, white head, neck, tail and underparts. Yellow eyes. Bright yellow bill with red spot near tip; Pale pink legs and feet. Gray upper wings, white-edged with white-spotted black tips. Direct flight, strong, steady wing beats, soars on thermals.

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.

Topo Map: Gull-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kuk, kuk, kuk"

Interesting Facts

 The Western Gull was previously considered conspecific with the Yellow-footed Gull.

 They typically live 15 years, but can live to at least 25 years.

 It was one of the antagonists in Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie, The Birds, which was filmed in Bodega Bay, California.

 A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Yury Lisyak

Splitbar
Range Map for Western Gull

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Family Gull (Laridae)_blue
Species Larus occidentalis
Length24 - 27 Inches
Wingspan56 Inches

Western Gull

Western Gull: Large gull, gray upperparts, white head, neck, tail and underparts. Yellow eyes. Bright yellow bill with red spot near tip; Pale pink legs and feet. Gray upper wings, white-edged with white-spotted black tips. Direct flight, strong, steady wing beats, soars on thermals.

● Song: "kuk, kuk, kuk"

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

● Breeding & 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.

● 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.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with deep steady wing beats., Often soars on updrafts.
Western Gull Breeding Adult Body Illustration
● Range & 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.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
Population
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight35.2 Ounces
Gull-like BodyX
UnderpartsX
Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX