California Gull, Larus californicus

California Gull, Larus californicus. Photographs taken in the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, April 2017.

The California Gull, Larus californicus, is a member of the Laridae Family of Gulls, Terns and Skimmers. They are mid-sized in stature. In Mexico they are found during the winter months in the coastal regions within the Pacific Slope from Baja California to Guerrero at elevations below 2,770 m (9,100 feet). From a conservation perspective the California Gull is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are found in a wide variety of marine habitats from waters at the edge of the continental shelf to beaches and rocky coasts, mudflats, coastal estuaries, and deltas of rivers and streams. They are opportunistic feeders that will consume a wide variety of foods including live animal prey, bird nestlings and fish, carrion and leftovers from garbage dumps, and green plant materials.