A practical guide to bird watching in Sonoma County, California
(Unless otherwise indicated, all phone numbers are in the 707 area code)
Glaucous Gull is an uncommon and sporadic visitor to Sonoma County, but a few birds seem to turn up most years during the winter months. Most often noted here between January and March, but records exist through mid-May. Usually seen in mixed gull flocks at places such as Shollenberger Park, the mouth of the Russian River, and Salmon Creek Beach, where gulls congregate in large numbers.
Adult birds are usually easy to spot. Glaucous Gull is much the largest gull seen in the county with any regularity. Beside a small gull such as a Mew Gull (Larus canus), Glaucous Gull looks huge. It is the only gull seen here that has pure white primaries. The mantle is only slightly darker than the flight feathers. From a distance, the bird often gives the impression of being all white. The bill is yellow with a red (sometimes reddish black) spot. The eyes are pale, the feet pink. Young birds are pale but mottled with light brown. They have dark eyes and a pink bill with a dark tip.
Most likely to be confused with Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens), but that bird has a darker (although relatively pale) mantle, and silver-grey primaries with white spots. Again, only Glaucous Gull has all-white primaries. The similar Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides), an even rarer bird here, is unlikely. It is in any case much smaller (averaging about 22 inches or 56cm in length, while Glaucous Gull averages 27 inches or 69cm in length), and the wingtips of Iceland Gull project much further beyond the tail than is the case in Glaucous Gull (photo below).
Also see: A comparison of common gull heads in breeding and non-breeding plumages
Selected county sightings: Goat Rock Beach, Jenner (February 21, 2012, Colin Talcroft); Shollenberger Park (December 12, 2011, Rich Stallcup); Bodega Head (November 30, 2011, Scott Carey); Shollenberger Park (March 4, 2011, Ruth Rudesill); Doran Beach (January 4, 2011, Dea Freid); Bodega Bay (December 1, 2010, Ruth Rudesill)
Further reading:
Bolander and Parmeter, Birds of Sonoma County California, rev. ed., 2000, p. 63
Brinkley, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2007, p. 128
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 5th ed., 2006, pg. 208
Dunn and Alderfer, eds., National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th ed., 2011, pg. 228
Dunne, Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion, 2006, pp. 269-271
Fix and Bezener, Birds of Northern California, 2000, p. 180
Floyd, Smithsonian Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 2008, p. 189
Howell and Dunn, Gulls of the Americas, 2007, pp. 14, 17, 21, 88, 149, 213, 244-250, 342, 393, 458-461
Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, The Birder's Handbook, paperback edition, 1988, pg. 170
Kaufman, Field Guide to Birds of North America, 2000, p. 82
Kaufman, Advanced Birding, 1990, pp. 102-108 (general notes on gull ID), pp. 106, 116, 121, 123
Kaufman, Field Guide to Advanced Birding, 2011, 242-263 (general notes on gull ID), pp. 251, 254, 259, 265, 267, 268
Lukas, Bay Area Birds: From Sonoma County to Monterey Bay, 2012, pp. 130-131
Parmeter and Wight, Birds of Sonoma County California, Update (2000-2010), 2012, pp. 130-131
Peterson, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, 4th ed., 2010, pp. 176, 184
Peterson, Western Birds, 3rd ed., 1990, p. 94
Sibley, Field Guide to Birds of Western North America,1st ed., 2003, p. 192
Stokes, Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 1st ed., 2010, pp. 332-333
Vuilleumier, American Museum of Natural History, Birds of North America: Western Region, 2011, p. 170
Voice: Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds--Glaucous Gull
© Colin Talcroft, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Unless noted, all photos by the author. If you would like to use one of my images, please ask for permission for non-commercial use with proper credit or commercial use with proper compensation.
Glaucous Gull, Goat Rock Beach, Jenner, February 21, 2012
Glaucous Gull, Goat Rock Beach, Jenner, February 21, 2012
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
1990-2013 Sonoma County data. Graph provided by eBird (www.ebird.org), generated July 2, 2013
EBird reported occurrence in Sonoma County
