Heermann's Gull

Overview
Heermann's Gull: Medium-sized gull with gray underparts and dark gray upperparts. Head is white and bill is bright red with black tip. Tail is black and edged with white. Legs and feet are black. Dives into ocean to catch fish. Also steals and scavenges. Flight is bouyant and direct.

Range and Habitat
Heermann's Gull: Nests on hot desert islands along the coast of western Mexico, migrates northward to the Pacific coast of the U.S. as far north as southern British Columbia; may disperse southward from Mexican breeding grounds. Found along beaches, rocky shoreline, estuaries, and lagoons.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Heerman's Gull is the only North American gull that breeds south of the United States and comes north to spend the nonbreeding season. Of the current population of about 150,000 pairs, 90% nest on the island of Isla Rasa off Baja California in the Gulf of California. Several attempts have been made to breed in California. So far these attempts have been unsuccessful, but eventual successful nesting is expected. A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.