California Gull
Larus californicus
The California Gull is remembered as the bird that ‘saved’ the Mormons in the 1840s, when a plague of Mormon Crickets threatened to devastate their crops. The gulls were just doing what gulls do, and exploiting the readily available food source. However, those early settlers (some even related to me) were so relieved to have the threat to their crops lifted, made it part of their lore, calling it a miracle.
Some authorities regard the California Gull as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies). Others call out two subspecies:
- L. c. californicus breeds from eastern Washington to Montana and Wyoming, as well as the Great Basin from eastern California to Utah.
- L. c. albertaensis breeds in west-central Canada from the southern Mackenzie Valley (Great Slave Lake in Alberta), and Manitoba, south into northern USA as far as South Dakota.
Given my birthplace in southern California, it should surprise nobody that most of my meetings with California Gulls have come near my home. That said, my most memorable encounters have come at Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra-Nevada district, and on Antelope Island, in the Salt Lake City region. There, I’ve enjoyed the spectacle of these birds bull-dozing through clouds of brine flies with mouths agape, snapping up micro-meals as fast as they can.
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Early morning ablusions. Antelope Island State Park, north of Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 5:34 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: D3X0931-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: This gull found a feast in a dead fish (carp?). Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, 17 miles west of Brigham City Utah. |
Date Taken: 2015:05:11 12:31 |
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Location:
Bear River |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/6400 |
File Name: D3X1477-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Ring-Billed Gulls are found at many beaches on the Salton Sea. Near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 14:50 |
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Location:
Lack-And-Lindsey-Roads |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X3841-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: These and several other gull species are often found around the Salton Sea. Near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 15:09 |
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Location:
Lack-And-Lindsey-Roads |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X4035-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Meal secured near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 15:57 |
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Location:
Lack-And-Lindsey-Roads |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: D3X4392-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:54 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/8 |
File Name: D3X4638-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:55 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/6 |
File Name: D3X4639-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:55 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/4 |
File Name: D3X4640-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Part of the collection at the Western Foundation of Vertibrate Zoology in Camarillo, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:11:02 9:57 |
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Location:
W F V Z |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 105 mm, f/8.0, 1/6 |
File Name: D3X4641-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Near Lack & Lindsey Roads. Salton Sea NWR and Vicinity. Imperial County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:10:13 16:18 |
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Location:
Fondo |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: D3X6836-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake and Mono Basin near Lee Vining California 2005-05-18. |
Date Taken: 2005:05:18 16:24 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/2500 |
File Name: JCD1921CaliforniaGull |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake and Mono Basin near Lee Vining California 2005-05-18. |
Date Taken: 2005:05:18 16:28 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/5000 |
File Name: JCD1933CaliforniaGull |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mixed age flock at Crowley Lake, Upper Owens River Valley, Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2009:03:10 16:09 |
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Location:
North Landing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 |
File Name: jcd3746CaliforniaGull |
| © 2009 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Upper Owens River Valley. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:28 12:53 |
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Location:
Benton Crossing |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
File Name: JCD8015-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2011 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake and Mono Basin near Lee Vining California 2005-05-18. |
Date Taken: 2005:05:18 16:06 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 |
File Name: JCD1839CaliforniaGull |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: At the South Tufa shores of Mono Lake. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 13:40 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X7545-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake hosts the 2nd largest breeding colony of California Gulls in the world. This image was captured during a 3 hour vigil at the Mono Lake shore north of Lee Vining California. Summers at Mono Lake, when the algae blooms occur in this super-salty water, Brine-flies (or Alkali Flies) feed on the algae. Millions of birds, as many as 80 species feed on the fat and protein rich flies. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:20 17:43 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X6824-MonoLake |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake hosts the 2nd largest breeding colony of California Gulls in the world. This image was captured during a 3 hour vigil at the Mono Lake shore north of Lee Vining California. Summers at Mono Lake, when the algae blooms occur in this super-salty water, Brine-flies (or Alkali Flies) feed on the algae. Millions of birds, as many as 80 species feed on the fat and protein rich flies. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:20 17:18 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X6327-MonoLake |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Seen while visiting the Salton Sea along the south-eastern shoreline. Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:30 12:56 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/8000 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5D0703 |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Catching black midges at Veteran's Park by the Link River (a.k.a. Klamath River) in Klamath Falls is a *go-to* destination for me when I'm in Southern Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:17 10:14 |
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Location:
Veterans Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/16.0, 1/800 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X4539-VeteransPark-KlamathFalls |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: This bird appears to be a 'First Winter' juvenile. Seen while visiting the Salton Sea along the south-eastern shoreline. Imperial County California. |
Date Taken: 2016:10:30 13:41 |
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Location:
Salton Sea |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5D2070 |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Mono Lake hosts the 2nd largest breeding colony of California Gulls in the world. This image was captured during a 4 hour vigil at the Mono Lake shore north of Lee Vining California. Summers at Mono Lake, when the algae blooms occur in this super-salty water, Brine-flies (or Alkali Flies) feed on the algae. Millions of birds, as many as 80 species feed on the fat and protein rich flies. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:20 16:16 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X5648-MonoLake |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Feeding on Brine Flies. Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:22 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X5371-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:08 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X5241-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Feeding on Brine Flies. Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 6:46 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X4922-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: Airborne birds were easy pickin's at the South Jetty of the Rogue River in Gold Beach Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:09 8:58 |
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Location:
South Jetty |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: CaliforniaGull_D5X0497-GoldBeach-Oregon |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
California Gull(Larus californicus) |
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Description: At the South Tufa shores of Mono Lake. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 13:29 |
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Location:
Mono Lake |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X7517-CaliforniaGull |
| © 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |
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