California Gull

California Gull (Larus californicus) is in the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 26,405 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph California Gull: observations by month (U.S.)

About California Gull

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 greatly with both.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

California Gull by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis

Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla

Western GullLarus occidentalis

American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus

Royal TernThalasseus maximus

Forster's TernSterna forsteri

Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia

Heermann's GullLarus heermanni

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ