Western Gull
Western Gull (Larus occidentalis)
The Western Gull is a species of bird in the family of gulls, which is located on the west coast of North America.
Description
The Western Gull is medium in size with a length of 53-56 cm and a wingspan of 137 cm. Head, neck and underparts are white like the tail, head and neck can be interspersed in the winter with gray dotting. Top and upper wing-coverts are lead- gray, the wings are gray and have black primaries. The tips of the rearmost secondaries are light gray to white. The yellow beak wearing a red spot on Gonyseck. The feet are flesh-colored. Juveniles are mottled brownish gray and white on the upper side. The wings and tail are black, the feet brown.
Habitat and Distribution
The Western Gull lives on the west coast of North America. In Canada it is found in British Columbia; in the United States in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. In Central America, there they in northern Mexico, while more rare in the south of the country. In Arizona, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Alaska, it occurs only occasionally.
In this gull rarely encountered inland. It breeds on rocky coasts, particularly on islands, and estuaries.
In the IUCN Redlist it is classified as least concern.
Nutrition
Western gulls feed mainly on fish and invertebrates such as krill, squid, jellyfish, starfish, mussels and snails. Beyond that they also go as scavengers to the carcass of seals and sea lions, search for useful human waste residues and sometimes also feed on the young of other birds.
Reproduction
In the breeding season the pairs defend their breeding ground violently towards conspecifics. The female lays three eggs in a ground depression. They are incubated about one month. The young birds remain in the nest until they fledge. Often stray boys are killed by the gulls of the adjacent breeding grounds. Parentless chicks are sometimes adopted by other couples.
The Western Gull can be up to 25 years old, but normally 15 years.
Subspecies
There occur two subspecies:
- O L. occidentalis
- L. o wymani