Western Gull
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
Aves
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
15-25 yrs
Size
Large
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Social
Colony
Biome
Temperate coast
Range
North America
Movement
Flight
Breeding
Egg-laying
Defense
Flight
Status
Common

About

The Western Gull is a large, heavy-bodied seagull native to the Pacific Coast of North America, easily recognised by its slate-grey back, bright yellow bill with a red spot, and pink legs. It is the only gull that breeds exclusively along the western coast of North America, nesting in dense colonies on rocky offshore islands.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    egg
    A clutch of eggs is incubated in the nest, kept warm by a brooding parent until the chicks pip free.
  2. 2.
    hatchling
    A naked or downy hatchling is fed in the nest by its parents.
  3. 3.
    juvenile
    A feathered juvenile fledges from the nest and learns to fly and forage.
  4. 4.
    adult
    Fully grown with adult plumage.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae
Genus
Larus
Species
Larus occidentalis