Birds of the Bay: Size, beaks and feet distinguish three familiar gulls
by Bob Shanman Last month, I introduced you to one of my favorite birds, the Heermann’s Gull. They are white-headed like most gulls. But with their slate-gray bodies, red bill and black feet, they are easily sorted out from the rest of the gulls. They have now left for their breeding colonies in Mexico, leaving behind their more difficult-to-identify cousins. Gulls are always a challenge to sort out (I find it fun to pick through a gull flock for the odd bird). But with a little effort, you can become the local expert, and wow your friends with all you know about (sea)gulls. Gulls are sometimes referred to as the garbage folks of the bird world, given their penchant for finding food at garbage dumps, trash cans and your lunch bags at the beach. They are quite clever at figuring out how to open packages. They will use rock jetties or concrete surfaces to drop shellfish on to break them open. They even chase other birds (especially terns), forcing them to give up food they have caught. Of the 20 or so gull species that have been seen in Los Angeles County, the three species described below are the most abundant on our beaches. They are all similar in appearance. But look closely…
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