58 
Field Marks. The smallest of the common Gulls of Herring Gull type of coloration. 
Bill without dark or red spot or ring. Field separation of juveniles except by size is some- 
what unreliable. 
Nesting. On the ground on stony, rocky, or marshy shores of freshwater lakes. 
Distribution. Western North America. Breeding in northern Alberta and Sas- 
katchewan, north throughout the Mackenzi e and Yukon basins and the interior of Alaska. 
Migrates to the Pacific coast, wintering from the south end of Vancouver island southward. 
Not recorded from the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces. 
SUBSPECIES. This is the American representative of the Old World Mew Gull 
Larus canus and has been proposed as a subspecies, Lams canus brachyrhynchus. 
The migration route of this species is most interesting, being one that 
is followed by several other species. Breeding in the centre of the great 
northern land mass of Mackenzie region, it migrates to the west coast, 
crossing the mountains in the north and not regularly coming south into 
settled country en route, though occasionally seen on the interior lakes of 
British Columbia. 
57. Heermann’s Gull, white-headed gull. Larus heermanni. L, 17*50-20. A 
distinctively coloured Gull. Adult in summer: grey, darker to plumbeous above, lighter 
to ashy below, with black wingB and tail, and white head usually slightly speckled when 
seen in our waters. Bill, bright red. Adults in autumn : have heads heavily marked or speckled 
with brown, the head above darker than neck, chin and throat white. Juveniles are 
uniform dark brown, chin in some cases whitish. 
Distinctions. Well characterized as above. 
Field Marks. A Grey Gull with light or white head, red bill, and black feet. 
Nesting. On the ground amidst rocks and stones on level spots of lonely rocks and 
islets. 
Distribution. Breeding along the shores of Lower California, migrating in autumn and 
winter northward to Vancouver island. 
A bird of anomalous habits and the only species of Gull breeding in 
the northern hemisphere and migrating northward as far as Canada in 
winter. A few, probably sub-adult, are to be seen on the Vancouver 
Island shores in summer. 
59. Franklin’s Gull. prairie pigeon. Larus franklini. L, 14. Plate IV A. 
Practically identical with Bonaparte’s Gull from which it differs only in detail. 
wings (wrists and most of the prim- 
aries being slate grey instead of pure 
white) (Figure 98, compare with Fig- 
ure 99). The bill and feet vary, with 
age and season, from black to maroon. 
In Bonaparte’s Gull the bill is always 
black and the feet vary from flesh- 
coloured to coral red. In both species, 
the rosy suffusion of the underparts 
is evanescent and not always present 
in specimens, as it quickly fades to 
white after death and exposure to light. 
The juvenile can best be distinguished 
by the wing pattern in which the primaries are solid black in the bird of the year 
instead of with large white areas. 
Field Marks. The blackness of the wings without prominent white wrists makes the 
best field marks for all plumages. The black or deep maroon legs and the dull red bill also 
assist in recognition. Either Franklin’s or Bonaparte’s Gull may be known from the Terns 
which they may resemble in life by the decided wing pattern instead of the even pale grey- 
neas of those species. 
Figure 98 
Wing of Franklin’s Gull; scale, i. 
