Heermann's Gull

Additional Bird Information Gulls Shorebirds Types of Birds

Sometimes gull species can be difficult to identify, not so with the red billed Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni).

They are exclusively West Coast gulls that breed in Mexico and migrate north along the Coast during the summer. Often they are found on the edges of the coast, along the rocks.

Measuring less than two feet in length and weighing a bit over one pound, these hardy fish eaters forage their way as far north as British Columbia in search of a coastal oasis.

Juvenile gulls are almost a uniform dark brown color and the redness in their bill becomes pronounced during their second molt.

© 2009 Patricia A. Michaels