California Gull

The California Gull is an average-size marine bird that comes from the genus Larus of the Laridae family. The binomial name of this gull is Larus Californicus, and it is smaller than the standard Herring Gull, but bigger than the average Ring-Billed gull, though it may overlap in size with both to a great extent. The California Gull is a common winter seabird of the West Coast, and it breeds in marshes and lakes in inner western North America from Northwest areas, Southern Canada to the eastern parts of Colorado and California. The California Gull can be largely seen in parking lots and lagoons from California to Manitoba.

Features

An adult California Gull is capable of attaining a maximum body length that ranges from 18 inches to 22 inches (46 cm to 55 cm in), with the wingspan, ranging from 48 inches to 54 inches (122 cm to 137 cm) and its body weight mass can differ from 0.948 lbs to 2.304 lbs (430 grams to 1,045 grams).

The California Gull is similar in look to the Herring Gull, but it has a smaller yellow color bill with a black color ring, yellow color legs, brown colored eyes, and a rounder head. The body of this marine bird is largely white with gray upper wings and back. The California Gull has black color primaries with white colored tips. Juvenile birds are also analogous in appearance to young Herring gulls, with more brown colored plumage than juvenile Ring-billed gulls.

The California Gull nests in colonies, occasionally with other birds. The nest of this marine bird is a low depression on the land lined with plants and feathers. Usually, the female gull will lay 2 to 3 eggs in a single clutch. Both male and female gulls will nourish the young birds.

The California Gull lately held the Species of Special Concern protected status in California, owing to declining amounts at their historic California propagation settlement at Mono Lake. However, during current decades, the California Gull variety has started to breed in the southern parts of San Francisco Bay, where it did not breed in the past, and has experienced an exponential population increase. Currently, these marine birds live in large, distant salt-production levees and ponds and they have an extremely large food resource, supplied by adjacent landfills from San Jose, San Francisco and other city areas.

The California Gull is a migratory bird, and it frequently migrates to the Pacific coast during winter. It is only then that this seabird is frequently seen in western California. The California Gull is the official state bird of Utah, which is remembered for helping Mormon colonizers in addressing a plague of a bigger insect that can grow up to approximately 8 cm, Mormon crickets. A tombstone in Salt Lake City celebrates this occasion, called the "Miracle of the Gulls”

Diet

The California Gull forages during flight or pick up preys during swimming, wading or walking. The bird mostly feeds on fish, insect and eggs. The California Gull also scavenges at garbage docks or dumps. The California Gull may follow plows in meadows for insects that stirred up by this action.

The average lifespan of the California Gull is 20 years.