English and Scientific names:

California Gull, Larus californicus

Number of individuals: 

One 1st winter [actually in full or mostly full juvenile plumage] 

Locality: LOUISIANA: 

Cameron Parish

 

Specific Locality:

Broussard Beach

 

 

Date(s) when observed:

October 30, 2004

 

 

Time(s) of day when observed:  

Approx. 8 AM

Reporting observer and address:

Paul E. Conover

Lafayette, LA

 

Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):

 Dave Patton

Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):

Excellent light, early morning sun behind thin layer of clouds; we were looking west down the beach.

Optical equipment: 

Zeiss 10x binos-excellent condition.

Nikon ED Fieldscope.

 

Distance to bird(s): 

Approx. 75 yards. Far, but close enough to ID with binoculars.

Duration of observation:

Through binoculars perhaps a minute while on ground; same with scope. I then put the video to the scope for maybe half a minute. When the bird flew, I watched it through the viewfinder for about 20 seconds, then switched to the scope for about a minute as it tacked into the wind.

Habitat: 

Beach.

 

Behavior of bird: 

The bird was first seen in the company of a 1st winter Herring and a 1st winter Lesser Black-backed Gull. These three birds were on the far edge of a flock of Laughing Gulls, picking at beach junk. We watched them and noted what they seemed to be, and advanced. The California wandered closer to us, and we stopped to get a look through the scope to confirm our speculative ID. Through the scope, it was clearly a California, so I began to videotape just in case it flew. Before we even began walking closer, this bird alone took off and began to flight out to the Gulf, tacking to the southwest, then the southeast, heading out to sea.

 

Description:

A large gull, smaller than associated Herring, about equal in size to the LBBG. A long-bodied, somewhat plump bird with a rounded head and gracile bill. Brownish overall, still in juvenile plumage. In flight, somewhat jaeger-like.  

  • Head superficially brownish, but paler from midcrown down around the base of the bill to the chin and throat and malar region. From midcrown down to the nape, and on the rear of auriculars, the streaking was a little coarser, and this area was contrasting darker than the front of the ‘face’. The paler area basically looked dusted in white. The darkest area on the head was surrounding the eyes. The nape and sides of neck were solidly brown.
  • Mantle somewhat checkered with black, white and brown. These might have been first basic feathers?
  • Breast and belly an even brownish, lighter on the breast as a continuation of the paleness of the throat.
  • Lesser and median coverts pale and evenly checkered or barred dark and light, contrasting obviously with the darker-based greater coverts. The greater coverts were dark for about the basal half, then barred evenly dark and light to the tip. As the greater coverts form the second ‘dark bar’ on the wing in flight, it stands to reason this tract should contrast with the other coverts on the folded wing as well.
  • Tertials dark brown with whitish edge spots on terminal half of the exposed portion [on closed wing.]
  • Primaries and secondaries dark brown/blackish.
  • Tail appeared solidly dark.
  • Undertail barred evenly dark and light.
  • Rump pattern not seen well; in flight, it showed as whitish, paler than mantle, much paler than tail.
  • Bill was somewhat small and thin, without a prominent gonydeal bulge. Bill pinkish with dark tip, slight dusky wash proximally from tip, with dark extending along cutting edge. There was also a smudge near the nares. The basic pattern of a 1st winter California bill was evident, with some additional duskiness as in juveniles. 
  • Legs dusky pinkish.
  • Eyes dark. 
  • In flight, primaries appeared evenly dark, with no window as in Herring. The bird was distant, but it banked a few times, and at same distance I was able to clearly see the windows on same-age Herrings. The contrast between the dark-based secondary coverts [+ secondaries] and the median and lesser coverts was visible in flight as it was on the perched bird.

 

 

Voice:

Not heard.

Similar species:
  • Herring Gull: Pale-based bill on 1st winter bird, the pattern of the greater coverts, and the pattern of the upperwing in flight eliminates Herring. Additionally, this bird didn’t resemble a Herring in overall shape, head shape, bill shape.
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull: This bird resembled a LBBG in upperwing pattern, but really nothing else. Bill color, overall color pattern different.

Photographs or tape recordings obtained?

I took video, and made stills. The stills have a somewhat glazed look because I wasn’t blocking out ambient light, so the colors may seem faded and washed out. 

 

Previous experience with this species: 

Have seen them out west a number of times, as recently as this summer. Had a similar-aged bird [though more advanced in development] last year.

 

Identification aids:

 

This description is written from: 

Mental notes, video.

Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain: 

 

Yes. 

Reporter: 

Paul Conover

Date and time: 

November 1, 2004