The Short-billed Gull 



No. 278 



Short-billed Gull 



A. 0. U. No. 55. Larus canus brachyrhynchus Richardson. 



Synonym. — American Mew Gull. 



Description. — Adult in summer: Mantle deep pearl-gray (about as in 

 L. calif ornicus); remaining plumage except quills white; pattern of black on wing-tip 

 involving first six primaries, somewhat as in L. calif ornicus, but reduced in area; 

 subterminal white blotch on 1st primary two inches long, its included shaft white; that 

 on 2nd primary about an inch long, its shaft black; intrusive gray of inner web on 3rd 

 quill and inwards, changing to white distally; pattern of white tips as inZ,. delawarensis, 

 i. e., wanting on 1st quill, present or not on 2nd. Bill slender, weak, without pro- 

 nounced angle, greenish yellow, brightening (more yellow) on tip; feet and legs dull 

 bluish green, webs yellow. In highest nuptial plumage the eyelids, edges of gape, and 

 the tomia become bright orange-yellow, the bill hoary glaucescent on basal portion, 

 the feet a brighter bluish green, the webs bright yellow; and a faint rosy flush sometimes 

 appears on feathers of underparts. Adults in winter: Duller; the cheeks and crown 

 streaked, the neck and breast mottled, and the cervix clouded or overlaid with brownish 

 dusky. First year plumage: Chiefly brownish gray, heavily bordered on back and 

 wings with fuscous and whitish; elsewhere nebulated or washed or cross-barred with 

 whitish; quills and tail brownish dusky. Bill light basally, blackish terminally; feet 

 and legs light yellow. Succeeding stages show early irruption of pearl-gray on back 

 and progressive sequence of plumages, much as in L. delawarensis ; subterminal bar of 

 black distinguishable somewhat as in preceding. Intermediate examples also show 

 tendency to bleaching wing-quills as (conspicuously) in L. argentatus. Length of 

 adult: 419. 1-457.2 (16.50-18.00); wing 355.6 (14.00); bill 36.8 (1.45); depth of bill at 

 angle 11.4 (.45); tarsus 49.5 (1.95)- 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; small weak bill; feet greenish yellow. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in California. Nest: On ground of marsh; of moss, 

 etc. Eggs: 2 or 3; colored as in other species. Av. size 57.2 x 40.6 (2.25 x 1.60). 



Range of Larus canus. — The Northern Hemisphere. 



Range of L. c. brachyrhynchus. — Breeding in northwestern North America from 

 Athabasca Lake, southern Mackenzie, and the northwestern corner of British Columbia, 

 west to Kotzebue Sound. 



Distribution in California. — Fairly common winter resident coastwise, es- 

 pecially in harbors. 



Authorities. — Cooper, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. iv., 1868, p. 10 (San Fran- 

 cisco Bay) ; Loomis, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 2, vol. vi., 1896, p. 24 (Monterey Bay); 

 Oberholser, Auk, vol. xxxvi., 1919, p. 83 (crit.; syst.). 



A CERTAIN childish innocence and simplicity appears to distinguish 

 these birds from the more sophisticated Californias and Westerns. They 

 are the small fry of the great gull companies which throng our borders 

 in winter, allowed to share, indeed, when Pietro dumps a rich load of 

 restaurant waste, but expected to take a grumbling back seat when the 



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