LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1. English and Scientific names: California Gull, Larus californicus

2. Number of individuals:  1

3. Locality: LOUISIANA: (parish)  Cameron

Specific Locality:  A couple of miles out of the Calcasieu Ship Channel mouth.

4. Date(s) when observed: 01/19/2013

5. Time(s) of day when observed: mid-afternoon

6. Reporting observer and address:

Paul Conover

Lafayette, LA

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): Danny Dobbs, Mac Myers, Dave Patton

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s):

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):  Excellent mid-winter afternoon sunlight

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Zeiss 10s, Nikon D50 with 300mm lens.

11. Distance to bird(s): The bird was initially seen while 30 or 40 yards off, but came in as close as a few feet at times.

12. Duration of observation:  Probably about an hour.

13. Habitat: Near-shore gulf waters.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation:  We noticed a ship passing nearby that had a band of birds chasing its wake. We approached the flock and threw out some popcorn to draw them in. We immediately drew a crowd of about 20-40 birds that slowly built up to perhaps twice that. The majority of the flock was Laughing, Ring-billed, and Herring Gulls, with a smaller number of Bonaparte’s, and a passing jaeger or two. The Herring and Ring-billed Gulls were of mixed ages, plumages, and soft part patterns. I saw one larger gull mixed in with a few Laughing Gulls and thought it had a darker mantle color than Herring and Ring-billed, but there weren’t any close for comparison, and given the distance and the movement of the boat it was hard to see much more than a near-adult white-headed gull with a ring around its bill. Once we keyed in on it, we were able to discern what appeared to be color around the ring, and yellow legs. It became very cooperative in terms of giving us views, partly because it was so aggressive in getting to the food, challenging Herring Gulls and all others present.

15. Description (include only what was actually seen, not what "should" have been seen; include if possible: total length/relative size compared to other familiar species, body bulk, shape, proportions, bill, eye, leg, and plumage characteristics. Stress features that separate it from similar species):

A near-adult white-headed gull, intermediate in size between Ring-billed and Herring, and in mantle color between those two species and Laughing Gull.

The bird appeared very adult-like when perched, but in flight the dark markings on the alula and greater primary coverts and the tail broadly “banded” with blackish mottling on most of the rectrices showed that it was shy of definitive adult plumage.

Head was white as in adults, but with coarse brownish streaking on nape and finer brownish streaking around and behind the eyes.

Eyes dark brown.

Legs dull yellow. Bill dull yellow with a black subterminal ring superimposed on a cadmium orange gonydeal spot, with the soft skin of the gape also cadmium orange. Bill not overly large, without any strong angles or abrupt tip.

16. Voice:  I seem to recall hearing it make aggressive calls while feeding, but if so, I don’t remember them enough to separate them from the other gulls.

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation):

Ring-billed Gull also has yellow bill with a bill ring, as well as yellow legs, and second-year Ring-billeds can probably share several features with this bird such as retained dark coverts, dark tail band, and dark eyes. However, Ring-billed doesn’t have an orange gonydeal spot, and Ring-billeds are more petite than this individual. In terms of general impression, this bird seemed more aligned with Herrings in shape.

Herring Gulls are greatly variable and can probably show almost the same suite of features as this bird, including size, plumage pattern, bill pattern, etc. However, Herrings should show pinkish legs.

In short, the combination of features best fits California Gull.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Photos, attached. Others present also took a copious amount of photos.

19. Previous experience with this species:  Some experience, but not constant and not always with a good blend of age groups at various times of year.

20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other birders, etc. used in identification):

a. at time of observation:

b. after observation:

21. This description is written from: notes the night of the observation, memory, photos  

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: Yes.

23. Date: 1/21/2013