Larus californicus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The California gull (Larus californicus) is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull (though it may overlap in size with both). Although named after California, it can be found annually across most of western North America, from the Canadian prairie provinces in the northeast and south through western Mexico.
The breeding habitat of the California gull are lakes and marshes in interior western North America from the Northwest Territories, Canada south to eastern California and Colorado. They nest in colonies, sometimes with other birds. The nest is a shallow depression on the ground lined with vegetation and feathers. The female usually lays 2 or 3 eggs. Both parents take turns feeding their chicks.
California gulls are migratory, with most moving to the Pacific coast in winter, during which time they can regularly be found in western California. There are two subspecies recognized, the nominate from the Great Basin to central Montana and Wyoming, and the slightly larger, paler L. c. albertaensis with a more northerly distribution, ranging from Great Slave Lake onto... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 14 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 16 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 17 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 18 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 19 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Tijuana | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 10 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a California Gull sighting in Seattle on a given day, based on 6,323 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 66th most-seen of the 271 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August to October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a California Gull in Seattle on a given day, against under 5% in February to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most California Gull sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 17
Of the 17 cities where we can rate California Gull sightings, Seattle ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in San Francisco (United States, about 40%), Sacramento (United States, about 20%) and Salt Lake City (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Larus
The closest relatives of the California Gull that you can see in Seattle (genus Larus, Large White-headed Gulls) are Glaucous-winged Gull (about 40%), Short-billed Gull (about 10%) and Ring-billed Gull (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the California Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Seattle (6,323 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
