California Gull
Larus californicus
Also known as: Californian Gull
About This Species
Look for a large, pale-mantled gull around coastal harbours, beaches, and inland lakes across the western United States and Canada, where it scavenges, takes fish, and forages on invertebrates in open water and mudflats. It breeds colonially on islands and exposed shorelines, forming noisy colonies through late spring and summer, and concentrates along the Pacific coast in winter. Look for it loafing in mixed gull flocks or actively foraging behind boats and at tidelines.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep well back from breeding colonies, since gulls nesting on the ground are highly sensitive to disturbance and will abandon eggs or chicks if repeatedly flushed.
- Migratory birds, including gulls, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States and comparable law in Canada, so nests and eggs should not be touched or approached at close range.
- Outside the colony, ordinary caution and a moderate distance are sufficient for birds foraging or loafing in the open.
LCAvesCharadriiformesLaridae
Seasonal Activity
1,690,621 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
Photo
(c) Blake Matheson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.