Birds of the Bay: Heermann’s Gull
by Bob Shanman So, two friends were walking along the beach in Hermosa when a large flock of gulls suddenly lifted off the sand and flew right in front of them. “Darn seagulls,” said one friend. The other friend, a birder, corrected him. “Those are not seagulls” he said. “We are on Santa Monica Bay, so it’s obvious that they are baygulls. And if they land on the water, they are water baygulls.” “Sure” responded the first friend. “Like in saltwater baygulls!” That’s enough bad humor for one column. Google “gull jokes” for more. An adult Heermann’s Gull, distinguished by its white head, red beak and black legs, soars over El Porto on to its winter breeding ground in Baja California. Photo by Dave Weldon (Photoshooter.org) “Seagull” or “sea gull” is a colloquial term for a family of birds ornithologists and birders refer to as “gulls.” Gulls are in the bird family Laridae, from the Greek word “Laru,” meaning ravenous sea bird. What an apt name for these annoying marauders. There are many names for a group of gulls, but most often they are called a flock or colony. Other names are scavenging, a squabble and a screech. Gulls are found worldwide and are most common along coasts and…
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