Western Gull

A small flock of Western Gulls loafed at a picnic area at Boiler Bay State Wayside, on Oregon’s Pacific Coast on 18 September 2019. This gull breeds from central Baja California north to Vancouver Island. Although often seen on the West Coast, the Western Gull has a smaller population than any other North American gull—there are only about 40,000 pairs nesting in some 200 colonies (Pierotti and Annett 1995). The warming of ocean waters, oil spills, and pesticides all threaten Western Gulls. To further complicate the situation, in Washington, Western and Glaucous-winged gulls form a hybrid swarm, with few, if any, genetically pure individuals. The hybrids are often called Olympic Gulls.