56 
breakers off stormy points for the food that is brought to the surface. 
Occasionally they follow the immense schools of small fish that periodically 
visit our Bhores, and take toll of the inexhaustible supply. 
Economic Status. It will be seen from the above summary of the 
Herring Gulls’ food habits that as scavengers they are important and 
should be protected. 
53. California Gull. Larus calif omicus. L, 20-23. Like a small Herring Gull, but 
with light yellow, greenish-yellow, or pale glaucous-green legs and feet, and a dark as 
well as a red spot near the end of the lower mandible 
(Figure 96). 
Distinctions . In size between the Herring and 
the Ring-billed Gulls, but with sex and individual 
variation specimens may overlap either of these 
species in this character. 
Distinguished from the Herring Gull in having 
a dark spot in the red of the lower mandible, red 
eyelids and gape, and having yellowish or greenish- 
yellow instead of flesh-coloured legs. Biu of Califoroia GuU . 
The Ring-billed is without red on the bill tips scale, \. 
and has a dark spot on both mandibles, making 
a more or less complete ring about the bill (See Figure 97), and its feet are generally 
more strongly yellow. 
The Short-billed Gull is the only other species with which the California Gull is likely 
to be confused. It is considerably smaller and has a plain greenish-yellow bill without 
either red or dark marks. The legs are almost similar in colour. Both Ring-billed and 
Short-billed may have red eyelids and gape like the California. 
These birds are easily separated in maturity by the above characteristics. In juven- 
ility the difficulties are greater. The following schedule may assist: 
Medium-sized Gull, L, 20-23. 
Quite dark; tail evenly dark; bill dark, with flesh-coloured base, 
feet brownish or flesh-coloured .First autumn 
Light, speckled, or clouded; tail clouded towards end; bill 
yellowish with more or less dark ring; feet flesh or light 
greenish Immature 
Light; tail white; bill yellowish with red and black Bpot; feet 
light greenish, eyelids and gape red Adult 
The juveniles are never as dark as first year Herring Gulls, but are darker than Ring- 
billed or Short-billed of similar ages. They never have a decided or clear-cut subferminal 
tail band as do the Ring-billed or the Short-billed, though the dark of immaturity lingers 
irregularly on the tail tip after the remainder has become pure white. Probably, in certain 
plumages, size of carefully sexed birds is the only means of separating them. 
Field Marks. Size, smaller than a Herring Gull and larger than the Ring-billed, is 
generally suggestive. The red and black spot on the bill of the adult when seen is determ- 
inative. Yellowish or greenish legs distinguish it from the Herring Gull and L the red on 
the bill from the Ring-billed. 
In juvenility it is never as dark as the Herring Gull in the first year. Eye-sight 
records of some plumages are unreliable. 
Nesting. On the ground, on low flat islands, as a rule marshy, or near the water. 
Distribution. Western North America. Breeding in the interior in the Prairie 
Provinces (Saskatchewan and Alberta), north to the Arctic circle. Migrating to the 
Pacific coast of British Columbia southward. 
Many of the records of the Herring Gull breeding in the prairie lakes 
apply to this species. Owing to the similarity of the two birds their 
occurrences have not been well delimited. This is probably the common 
large Gull breeding south of the Canadian National Railway tracks in 
Saskatchewan and Alberta. Its occurrence in Manitoba has yet to be 
recorded. 
