? Western Gull Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
L. occidentalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Genus: Larus Species: L. occidentalis
Binomial name
Larus occidentalis (Audubon, 1839)

The Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, is a large white-headed gull that lives on the western coast of North America. It was previously considered conspecific with the Yellow-footed Gull (Larus livens) of the Gulf of California. The Western Gull ranges from Washington and British Columbia to Baja California, and because of its convenient colonies on the coast of California it is well studied. Despite being a well-known bird species on the West Coast of the US, it is of some slight conservation concern given its restricted range (for a gull). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3378x2114, 1612 KB) Summary A Western Gull in front of the Golden Gate Bridge taken Febuary 04 2006. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Many - see section below. ... Families Thinocoridae Pedionomidae Scolopacidae Rostratulidae Jacanidae Chionididae Burhinidae Haematopodidae Recurvirostridae Ibidorhynchidae Charadriidae Pluvianellidae Dromadidae Glareolidae Stercorariidae Rhynchopidae Laridae Sternidae Alcidae Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. ... Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. ... Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... John James Audubon John James Audubon (April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was a Franco-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. ... Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Conspecificity is a concept in biology. ... Binomial name Larus livens (Dwight, 1919) The Yellow-footed Gull, Larus livens, is a large gull, closely related to the Western Gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s. ... The Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortez or Sea of Cortés; locally known in the Spanish language as Mar de Cortés or, much less frequently, Golfo de California) is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland. ... Official language(s) None Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages none stated in law; English is de facto Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seat  - Senate seats 36 6 Area Total  â€¢ Land  â€¢ Water    (% of total)  Ranked 5th 944,735... Baja California is the northernmost state of Mexico. ... A seabird colony is a site which seabirds visit to breed. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq. ... Orders Many - see section below. ... Motto: E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Latin: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government • President • Vice President Federal Republic George... Some conservation ecologists have been concerned about the Amazon rainforest. ...

Description

The Western Gull is a large gull, around 60 cm long with a white head and body, and gray wings. It has a yellow bill with a red subterminal spot (this is the small spot near the end of the bill that chicks peck in order to stimulate feeding). It closely resembles the Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus). In the north of its range it forms a hybrid zone with its close relative the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens). Binomial name Larus schistisagus Stejneger, 1884 The Slaty-backed Gull, Larus schistisagus, is a large white-headed gull that breeds on the western coast of Alaska but travels widely during nonbreeding seasons. ... The Hybrid Zone is an overlap range of 2 species that can reproduce effectively producing offspring that are infertile (a hybrid of the 2 species, hence the name). ... Binomial name Larus glaucescens (Naumann, 1840) The Glaucous-winged Gull, Larus glaucescens, is a large, white-headed gull residing from the Aleutians to the western coast of Alaska to the coast of Washington. ...

Behavior

The Western Gull is an exclusively marine gull that is seldom encountered inland. It nests on offshore islands and rocks along the coast, and on islands inside estuaries, and a colony also exists on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. In the colonies, long term pairs aggressively defend territories whose borders may shift slightly from year to year, but are maintained for the life of the male. The Western Gull typically lives 15 years, but can live to at least 25 years. [[Image:http://www. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... Alcatraz Island in 2005 Alcatraz Island (, ) is located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate The San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining of approximately forty percent of California, flowing in Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ...

Newly hatched Western Gull chick

A nest of vegetation is constructed inside the territory, and three eggs are laid. These eggs are incubated for a month. The chicks, once hatched, remain inside the territory until they have fledged. Chicks straying into the territory of another gull are liable to be killed by that territory's pair. Chick mortality is high, with on average one chick surviving to fledging. On occasion, abandoned chicks will be adopted by other gulls. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1335x910, 125 KB)Western Gull Chick, newly hatched. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1335x910, 125 KB)Western Gull Chick, newly hatched. ... Fledge is the stage in a young birds life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. ...

Western Gulls feed in pelagic and intertidal environments. At sea they take fish and invertebrates like krill, squid and jellyfish. They cannot dive, and feed exclusively on the surface. On land they will feed on seal and sea lion carcasses, as well as cockles, limpets and snails in the intertidal zone. They will also use human-altered habitats, feeding at landfills and taking food from people at marinas and beaches. At times some Western Gulls can be predatory, preying on the young of other birds and even adults of some species. One Western Gull at Oakland's Lake Merrit was known for killing and eating pigeons (Rock Doves) on a daily basis. The pelagic zone is the part of the open sea or ocean comprising the water column, i. ... It has been suggested that Intertidal ecology, Foreshore and Littoral be merged into this article or section. ... Orders See text. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ... Families Euphausiidae Euphausia Dana, 1852 Meganyctiphanes Holt and W. M. Tattersall, 1905 Nematobrachion Calman, 1905 Nematoscelis G. O. Sars, 1883 Nyctiphanes G. O. Sars, 1883 Pseudeuphausia Hansen, 1910 Stylocheiron G. O. Sars, 1883 Tessarabrachion Hansen, 1911 Thysanoessa Brandt, 1851 Thysanopoda Latreille, 1831 Bentheuphausiidae Bentheuphausia amblyops Krill are shrimp-like marine... Suborders Myopsina Oegopsina Squids are the large, diverse group of marine cephalopods popular as food in cuisines as widely separated as Korean and Italian. ... Orders Stauromedusae Coronatae Semaeostomeae Rhizostomae Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class, and in turn the phylum Cnidaria. ... Genera Monachus (Monk Seals) Mirounga (Elephant Seal) Lobodon (Crabeater Seals) Leptonychotes Hydrurga (Leopard Seals) Ommatophoca Erignathus (Bearded Seals) Phoca Halichoerus (Gray Seals) Cystophora (Hooded Seals) The true seals or earless seals are one of the three main groups of mammals within the seal suborder, Pinnipedia. ... Genera Eumetopias Zalophus Otaria Neophoca Phocarctos A sea lion is any of several marine mammals of the family Otariidae. ... Genera Acanthocardia Americardia Cardium Cerastoderma Clinocardium Corculum Ctenocardia Dinocardium Discors Fragum Fulvia Laevicardium Lophocardiium Lyrocardium Lunulicardia Microcardium Nemocardium Papyridea Parvicardium Plagiocardium Ringicardium Trachycardium Trigoniocardia Serripes Cockles are the family Cardiidae of bivalve mollusks. ... Genera Acmaea Bathyacmaea Lottia Notoacmea Pectinodonta Problacmaea Limpets are marine mollusks in the family Acmaeidae with flattened, cone-shaped shells. ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... Landfill is a waste disposal site for the deposit of the waste onto or into land (i. ...

Western Gulls and Man

Unlike other large Larus species the Western Gull is almost entirely marine.

The Western Gull is currently not considered threatened. However, they have, for a gull, a restricted range. Numbers were greatly reduced in the 19th century by the taking of seabird eggs for the growing city of San Francisco. Western Gull colonies also suffered from disturbance where they were turned into lighthouse stations, or, in the case of Alcatraz, a prison. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 786 KB) Summary Western Gull. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 786 KB) Summary Western Gull. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Seabirds are birds that spend much of their lives, outside the breeding season at least, at sea. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ...

Western Gulls are very aggressive when defending their territories and consequently were persecuted as a menace. The automating of the lighthouses, and the closing of Alcatraz Prison, allowed the species to reclaim parts of its range. They are currently vulnerable to climatic events like El Niño events and oil spills. Chart of ocean surface temperature anomaly [°C] during the last strong El Niño in December 1997 El Niño and La Niña (also written in English as El Nino and La Nina) are major temperature fluctuations in surface waters of the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean. ... Volunteers cleaning up the aftermath of the Prestige oil spill An oil spill is the intentional or unintentional release of oil (generally, petroleum) into the natural environment as a result of human activity. ...

The Western Gull was one of the antagonists in Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie, The Birds, which was filmed in Bodega Bay, California, near the biggest Western Gull colony, the Farallon Islands. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was a British film director and producer, a master of the suspense thriller genre. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... The Birds (1963) is a horror film by Alfred Hitchcock, roughly based on a short story by Daphne Du Maurier with the same name. ... The village of Bodega Bay on Bodega Harbor Bodega Bay is a census-designated place located in Sonoma County, California. ... County outline map of California, showing position of the Farallon Islands The Farallon Islands are a group of islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of mainland San Francisco, California. ...

References

• Pierotti, R. J., and C. A. Annett. 1995. Western Gull (Larus occidentalis). In The Birds of North America, No. 174 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.

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