The Beautiful Heermann's Gull

Birdorable Heermann's Gulls

Have you ever seen a Heermann's Gull? These birds live on the west coast of the United States and Mexico. There are about 150,000 pairs of them and 95% of these nest on the island of Isla Rasa off Baja California. Audubon calls it one of North America's most beautiful gulls. Among other gulls in this area, Heermann's Gulls are easy to identify: breeding adults are dark gray above and light gray below, they have a white head and bright red bill with black tip. They are about the same size as a Ring-billed Gull. Isla Rasa is included in the Islas del Golfo California Biosphere Reserve. Because so many of these birds nest in one place, the entire species is vulnerable to disturbances there, which include harvesting of eggs by fishermen, industrial development and predation by introduced mammals.

2 of 2 Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) Villa Creek beach, Estero Bluffs, Cayucos
Photo by Mike Baird (via Flickr)
Heermann's Gull
Photo by Mary Angelini (via Flickr)

If you like this cute gull, check out our other Birdorable terns and gulls.

Comments

Canaduck on January 7, 2010 at 8:23 PM wrote:
They are lovely gulls indeed. I was fortunate enough to see them once on a trip to southern CA.
Canaduck on January 7, 2010 at 8:30 PM wrote:
Hey, what's with the stray GW (or whatever) gull in that pic?
Arthur on January 7, 2010 at 8:46 PM wrote:
Good spotting, it's a mixed flock! ;)
Mary Angelini on March 29, 2010 at 4:52 PM wrote:
Hey, thanks for publishing my picture and giving me a shout out, I really appreciate it - Great site by the way!!! - Mary Angelini
abigail on June 5, 2010 at 2:49 PM wrote:
Gulls are cute and you want to give them all the bread, well DON'T! because they'll poop on you and they'll want more once all your bread is gone!
Louise Warner on February 27, 2017 at 7:45 AM wrote:
i love gulls ( well we do have a lot. )

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published
You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

Green Heron Facts

Here are some interesting facts about the Green Heron, one of our newest Birdorable birds!The Green Heron has had some interesting colloquial names, including Fly-up-the-creek, Poke, Chalkline, Indian Hen, and Chucklehead.Some Green Herons migrate, and some don't. Green Herons are...

Verreaux's Eagle: The Powerful Black Eagle of Africa and the Middle East

Today’s new species is a large type of eagle found across parts of Africa and the Middle East. Verreaux’s Eagle joins Birdorable today! The species, also known as the Black Eagle, was named for a French naturalist who collected the specimen used to...

Vulture Week: Andean Condor species profile

We're celebrating Vulture Week because this Saturday, September 6th, marks International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD). This commemorative day has been celebrated since at least 2009 and aims to highlight the importance of vultures and vulture conservation through education. The Andean Condor is...

Fruit Acrobats and Forest Farmers: Interesting Secrets of the African Green Pigeon

The African Green Pigeon might not be the flashiest bird in the jungle, but it packs a surprising punch of interesting features that make it a worthy feathered friend. Here's why you should appreciate this darling green gem: Masters of Camouflage Their olive-green plumage blends seamlessly into foliage, making...