OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Larus ("gull") occidentalis ("western")
Adult Western Gull (subspecies L. o. occidentalis) at Berkeley, California - August 2022
Featured Subspecies: Laris occidentalis occidentalis
Weight: 1000g / Length: 55-68cm / Wingspan: 130-144cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
A large and almost entirely coastal species of gull, the Western Gull was the most commonly seen gull species during my visit to California. They share the versatility of many gull species in terms of feeding in terms of scavenging, but are also known to be actively predatory to birds when the opportunity arises. Further North they regularly hybridise with Glaucous-winged Gull to produce a hybrid known as the "Olympic Gull" which in the intergrade zone of the two species proves to be very successful.
Related Species:
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Larus
SUBSPECIES: L. o. occidentalis, L. o. wymani
- Sighting Locations -
Resident on the coasts of California, Washington and Oregon
- CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Hayward, Berkeley, Monterey and on the Half Moon Bay Pelagic Trip
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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