Heermann's gull
larus heermanni latin

Heermann's Gull sometimes pirates prey from other seabirds, particularly Brown Pelicans, with which it often associates.

ARKive - images and movies of the Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni)

The Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) is a gull resident in the United States, Mexico and extreme southwestern British Columbia.

Heermann's Gull and Elegant Tern are estimated to reach 260 thousand and 200 thousand respectively which accounts for about 95% of the total world population of that species.

We surveyed the saw-toothed Sierra de la Giganta range and looked for birds, identifying a dull gray Heermann's gull and then a yellow-footed gull, endemic to the gulf.

Rasa Island is an important nesting site for Heermann's Gull, Elegant Tern, American Oystercatcher, Craveri's Murrelet, and Brown Pelican.

A few species vary in this, the Ivory Gull is entirely white, and some like the Lava Gull and Heermann's Gull have partly or entirely grey bodies.

Unlike some of the smaller white terns, it is not very aggressive toward potential predators, relying on the sheer density of the nests (often only 20-30 cm apart) and nesting close to other more aggressive species such as Heermann's Gulls to avoid predation.

In the Americas, Heermann's Gulls and Laughing Gulls are known to steal food from Brown Pelicans; as the pelicans surface and empty the water from their bills, the gulls lurk nearby and grab escaping food items.

ARKive - images and movies of the Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni)

The Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni) is a gull resident in the United States, Mexico and extreme southwestern British Columbia.