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Larus heermanni
Heermann's Gull? This one was very dark and has a dark tip on its bill. "This species looks distinctly different from other gulls. Adults have a medium gray body, blackish-gray wings and tail with white edges, and a red bill with a black tip. The head is dusky gray in non-breeding plumage and white in breeding plumage. Immatures resemble non-breeding adults but are darker and browner, and the bill is flesh-colored or pink till the second winter. A few birds, no more than 1 in 200, have white primary coverts, which form a showy spot on the upper wing." - Wikipedia
Beach at La Jolla.
Spotted on May 4, 2012
Submitted on May 6, 2012
2 Comments
Thanks for the confirmation, Liam!
Yes, a Heermann's. Much more slender than the other western gull species.