California Herring Gull: Larus argentatus

Winter in California is good when I can walk along the shore and take some time to do a small watercolor of a Herring Gull that seems to be posing for me. Herring Gulls are gray and white with pink-legged. They’re the most familiar gulls of the North Atlantic and can be found across much of coastal North America in winter.  They are a common winter bird on the coast of California. Identification can be tricky with this type of gull because they resemble other gulls with a variety of plumages the first few years. Adult Herring Gulls are similar to adult Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) and California Gull (Larus californicus) but the Herring Gulls are much larger with larger bills. I am still learning my gulls.

I was told in my orinthology class that there is no such thing as a “seagull” —It broke my heart.  All those beautiful songs and the wonderful poetry about “seagulls”— well, science is science— never took claims on being poetic, that’s for sure.  The “seagull” will always be my heart’s delight.