California gulls

LARUS CALIFORNICUS

As if haunting the margins of an ancient ocean, nearly 50,000 California gulls journey over the Sierra Nevada each spring to nest on the salt-encrusted islands of Mono Lake. There, on the edge of the Great Basin Desert, the ringing cries of these beautiful sea birds strike an odd chord in the otherwise barren desert landscape. They dot the lake’s waters and soar effortlessly against the deep blue sky. By early July, this year’s crop of juvenile gulls start testing their wing muscles and gathering energy. By the end of the month they will take their first solo flight to the Pacific Coast where they will spend the fall and winter. Adult gulls linger in the interior for an extra month before making their own journey to the coast, recovering from the exhausting work of raising two to three chicks.

NATURAL HISTORY

Virtually the entire population of California gulls that nest in California can be found at Mono Lake, making this site one of the most important colonies in the world for this species. However, the nesting colony has only recently begun to recover from decades of water diversions that lowered the lake and allowed predators to reach the birds.

KEY CHARACTERISTICS

A medium-sized gull; breeding adults have yellow legs and a flashy red eye ring and gape, while juveniles are mottled brown and have dusky pink legs.