Adult. Photo: Becky Matsubara/Flickr (CC-BY-2.0)
Larus occidentalis
| Conservation status | Common, and numbers apparently stable. Nesting at some colonies has been impacted in the past by effects of pesticides in the food chain. |
|---|---|
| Family | Gulls and Terns |
| Habitat | Coastal waters, estuaries, beaches, city waterfronts. Mostly along immediate coast, but regularly found well out at sea, especially between coast and nesting islands. Visits garbage dumps, ponds, and flat open areas (such as parking lots) within a few miles of coast, but almost never found farther inland. Nests on islands and locally on mainland cliffs. |
forages while walking or swimming, or may plunge into water from flight. May drop hard-shelled clams and crabs onto rocks while in flight to break them open.
Usually 3, sometimes 1-5, rarely 6. Clutches of more than 3 eggs result from 2 females laying in same nest, which happens fairly often at some colonies. Eggs buff to olive or gray, blotched with darker brown. Incubation at normal nests is by both parents (female may do more), 25-29 days. In very hot weather, adults may fly to water and soak belly feathers to cool eggs. Young: Fed by both parents. May leave nest when a few days old and hide in nearby vegetation. Capable of flight at about 6-7 weeks after hatching. Young depart from some colonies at about 10 weeks, becoming independent then; at other colonies, young may be fed by parents longer.
Fed by both parents. May leave nest when a few days old and hide in nearby vegetation. Capable of flight at about 6-7 weeks after hatching. Young depart from some colonies at about 10 weeks, becoming independent then; at other colonies, young may be fed by parents longer.
Fish and other marine life, eggs, carrion, refuse. Feeds on a wide variety of aquatic life, including fish, crabs, squid, clams, sea urchins. Eats eggs and young (and sometimes adults) of other birds. Around sea lion colonies, scavenges dead pups and afterbirth. Also eats other carrion, and scavenges in dumps and around docks for refuse.
First breeds at 4 years or older. Nests in colonies. Nest site is on ground or on cliff ledge, sometimes on boat or building, sometimes under overhanging rock. Nest (probably built by both sexes) is shallow depression, usually with lining of grass, other plants.
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
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