|
Species
|
Size
|
Back
color
|
Leg
color
|
Bill
size & color
|
Head
|
Wing
field marks in flight
|
Tail
& Rump
|
Eye
color
|
Winter
features
|
|
Glaucous Gull
|
Large
26-32”
|
Chalky white
|
Flesh-pink
|
Yellow with red
spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Frosty white wing
tips – no black in wings!
|
White
|
Light yellow
|
Lightly streaked
head
|
|
Glaucous
–winged Gull
|
Large
24-27”
|
Pale Gray
|
Flesh-pink
|
Yellow with red
spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Gray pattern in
wing tips – no black in wings!
|
White
|
Light yellow
|
Lightly streaked
head
|
|
Herring Gull
|
Large
23-26”
|
Gray
|
Flesh-pink
|
Yellow with red
spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Outer primaries
black with white spots
|
White
|
Light yellow
|
Streaked head
|
|
Thayer’s Gull
|
Large
23-26”
|
Gray
|
Dark pink
|
Like Herring Gull,
but slightly smaller
|
White
|
Gray on underside
of wing tips in flying bird is distinctive
|
White
|
Brown
|
Streaked head
|
|
Western Gull
|
Large
24-27”
|
Charcoal-gray to
gray
|
Flesh-pink
|
Yellow with red
spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Outer primaries
black with white spots
|
White
|
Dark yellow
|
|
|
Yellow-footed
Gull
|
Large
27”
|
Charcoal-gray
|
Yellow
|
Yellow with red
spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Outer primaries
black with white spots
|
White
|
Dark yellow
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
California Gull
|
Mid-Sized
20-23”
|
Gray
|
Yellowish-green
|
Yellow with red
& black spot on lower mandible
|
White
|
Outer primaries
black with white spots
|
White
|
Dark brown
|
Streaked head
|
|
Heerman’s Gull
|
Mid-Sized
18-21”
|
Dark gray
|
Dark gray
|
Red
|
White
|
Charcoal
|
Dark gray with thin
white terminal band
|
Dark
|
Gray head
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ring-billed Gull
|
Small
19”
|
Light-gray
|
Yellowish
|
Yellow bill, black
encircling ring close to tip
|
White
|
Black primaries
with white spots
|
White
|
Light yellow
|
- Streaked head
- yellow to grayish
legs
|
|
Mew Gull
|
Small
16-18”
|
Gray
|
Yellowish-green
|
Small, plain
yellowish bill
|
White
|
Black primaries
with larger white spots (mirror) than in Ring-billed Gull
|
White
|
Dark brown
|
Streaked head
|
|
Laughing Gull
|
Small
16-17”
|
Dark gray
|
Dark red
|
Reddish bill
|
Black in summer
|
Black wing tips,
white trailing edge on dark wings
|
white
|
Black with broken
white eye ring
|
White head with
gray nape extending around eye, blackish bill
|
|
Bonaparte’s
Gull
|
Small
13”
|
Gray
|
Black
|
Black
|
Black in summer
|
Large wedge of
white at wing tips
|
White
|
Black with broken
white eye ring
|
White head with
black ear-spot
|
|
Little Gull
|
Small
11”
|
Gray
|
Dark red
|
Reddish bill
|
Black in summer
|
Dark undersides of
wings, rounded tips
|
White
|
Black
|
White head with
dark cap & ear-spot
|
