Bird Album
California Gull
Larus californicus Lawrence, 1854
683 gWeight
The California gull (Larus californicus) is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull (though it may overlap in size with both).
Busiest months: August–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: August–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
California Gull has been recorded at 279 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States17,287 records
- Pt. Pinos – seawatch onlyUnited States13,969 records
- Antelope Island SP – CausewayUnited States8,123 records
More places
- Frank G. Bonelli RP/Puddingstone Reservoir and vicinityUnited States7,370 records
- San Diego River mudflatsUnited States6,247 records
- Lee Kay PondsUnited States6,202 records
- Malibu Lagoon – State Beach including LagoonUnited States6,143 records
- Calgary – Inglewood Bird SanctuaryCanada5,904 records
- Bolsa Chica Ecological ReserveUnited States5,799 records
- Piute PondsUnited States5,753 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The California gull (Larus californicus) is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull (though it may overlap in size with both). Although named after California, it can be found annually across most of Western North America, from the Canadian prairie provinces in the northeast and south through western Mexico.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the California Gull?
The California Gull weighs around 683 g.
Where does the California Gull live?
Its breeding range: North America: central Northwest Territories to central Manitoba (central Canada) to northeastern South Dakota; eastern Washington to Montana and south to Colorado and central California. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the California Gull?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in August, September, October and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the California Gull endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the California Gull as Least Concern.
What does the California Gull eat?
Main food: Omnivore.
What family is the California Gull in?
It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 683 g
- Habitat
- Coast & tidal flats
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 377 mm
- Tail
- 140 mm
- Bill
- 56 mm
- Tarsus
- 57 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America: central Northwest Territories to central Manitoba (central Canada) to northeastern South Dakota; eastern Washington to Montana and south to Colorado and central California
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Laridae
- Genus
- Larus
Other birds in the genus Larus
Pacific GullLarus pacificus
Belcher's GullLarus belcheri
Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris
Olrog's GullLarus atlanticus
Heermann's GullLarus heermanni
Common GullLarus canus
Short-billed GullLarus brachyrhynchus
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
Yellow-footed GullLarus livens
Western GullLarus occidentalis
Caspian GullLarus cachinnans
Kelp GullLarus dominicanus
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Blake Matheson. ↗
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