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. californicus); remaining plumage except quills white; pattern of black on wing-tip 
involving first six primaries, somewhat as in L. californicus, 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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