Sunday 25 September 2022

Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") heermanni (named for Adolphus Heermann)


Non-breeding Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) at Monterey, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 371-643g  /  Length: 43-49cm  /  Wingspan: 104-115cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Heermann's Gull is by many metrics an oddity among Larus gulls -its the only species in which the normally white breast and head are a silvery grey and also the only species with an all red beak. It also is incredibly selective about where it breeds, with 90%+ of the World's population breeding solely on Isla Rasa in the Gul of Mexico - a 0.21 square mile island otherwise noted for "three small ponds and a small shed" which unfortunately makes them extremely vulnerable to catastrophic events like disease, climate or natural disaster.

Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Non-breeding visitor to Coastal California, and in lower numbers in Washington and Oregon
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Monterey

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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