A large, pink-legged four-year gull of the Pacific Coast. Alternate Adult has medium gray mantle, slightly darker gray wingtips with white subterminal spots and very limited white tips on the outer primaries, white body, dark eye, pink legs, and yellow bill with red spot at the tip. Basic Adult has faint brown bars on head and neck that create a dirty or smudgy look. Third-cycle birds have pink bill with ragged black tip. Second-cycle birds are mottled light brown on head and underparts with pale gray back and dark bill. First-cycle birds are mottled gray-brown overall--darker as juveniles and becoming progressively paler through their first winter and spring--with dark bill; primaries are same color as rest of wing. In some seasons, primaries can become so worn as to appear white. Hybridizes extensively with Western Gull, resulting in a wide assortment of confusing intergrades. Compare Western and Glaucous Gulls.

Length: 66 (cm) Wingspan: 147 (cm)

Voice:

Hoarse, trumpeting, and hollow-sounding bugling notes.

Habitat:

Coastal areas, reservoirs, garbage dumps, wet fields, rivers.

Behavior:

Breeds colonially. Nest is a mat of vegetation on ground or rocky ledge. Sometimes flocks with other gulls, especially in winter. May be seen eating sea stars that look far too big to be ingested.

Feeding:

Forages on water or land. Eats a wide variety of small animals, fish, carrion, and human scraps.